


Insufferable

by allofuswithwings



Series: Space Dementia [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Complicated Relationships, Discussion of Abortion, Dubious Consent, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Humor, Jealousy, Melodrama, Mutual Masturbation, POV Multiple, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trauma, Romance, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-19 01:33:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 43,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29618550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allofuswithwings/pseuds/allofuswithwings
Summary: Rose wants the Doctor to reveal his feelings about the night they spent together. The Doctor finds that destroying their embryo is much more complicated than he thought.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Space Dementia [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136945
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Teaspoon between July 2007 and March 2008. I was but a baby fanfic writer at the time so it's cringy af.
> 
> This work discusses pregnancy, abortion, potential miscarriage and related concepts and trauma. Please be advised and take care of yourselves if these are sensitive topics for you.

  
  
  
  
When Rose had gotten back home from Torchwood, she didn’t tell anyone what had happened. She didn’t dare tell her Mum what she’d had to do with the Doctor to save his life; she would kill her if she knew. And the Doctor. So, she’d only told half the story, that he’d been sick and they’d needed to go to Torchwood to help him. She left out the details of what exactly had been wrong with him. Mickey had given her suspicious looks at the time – he could always tell when she wasn’t being completely honest. But he didn’t push her to tell him, and she’d appreciated that.  
  
Despite this, she still didn’t want to spend too much time back home in case something did slip out about it. Besides, she had to get back to the Tardis so the Doctor could take her somewhere to sort everything out with their embryo. Rose had no idea if this would be like any other abortion, considering the father wasn’t human, so she didn’t want to risk it with a clinic on Earth. And she didn’t think the Doctor would either. So, she needed to get back.  
  
But it wasn’t really much more comfortable being back on the Tardis either. Since leaving Torchwood, the Doctor had said very little to her, only to talk about taking her home and waffling on about some abnormality in Tardis’ systems. Some complex energy fluctuations or something. She wasn’t really listening to be honest because he was just talking at her, not to her. Something to fill the awkward silence, she supposed.  
  
So now being back on board, Rose was determined to squeeze conversation out of the Doctor, to get him to talk to her properly. And also honestly, if she could. Not that she was holding her breath for that. He’d likely skirt the subject of them being together if she brought it up, but she needed to try. She didn’t want things to remain so uncomfortable.  
  
Rose wandered about the Tardis that afternoon, searching for the Doctor to confront him. She found him pawing over schematics of the Tardis in the library, pencil in hand, making numerous calculations and charts. He was probably trying to fix whatever the glitch in the Tardis was, as she knew he got irritated by little things he couldn’t explain. Even if they didn’t really matter, he needed to find out what it was.  
  
When she entered the room, the Doctor looked up briefly to regard her presence, but didn’t address her or make any expression as to his mood. She wandered toward him slowly, hand in her pocket, chewing on her lip. She didn’t know how to begin this conversation with him subtly, so she just came right out with it.  
  
“Doctor, do you regret what happened with us...?” Rose ventured. “Y’know, back at Torchwood?”  
  
He looked up at her a moment, slightly stunned, but then went back to his sketching and analysis.  
  
“Hmmm? What? Oh…well, you saved my life so of course I don’t regret that,” the Doctor began. “That would be a bit silly wouldn’t it? Me being angry at you for saving me. Unless of course it destroyed a planet or the universe or something. But it didn’t, it just– It didn’t, so it’s fine.”  
  
That wasn’t the response Rose was looking for. He was avoiding the question, the real issue she was trying to get at. And she knew he knew it too, he was being difficult. She pursed her lips in exasperation and took a deep breath before trying again.  
  
“Okay, but how’s everything with us? Doesn’t this change things?” she asked tentatively, trying to draw him out.  
  
He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, only glancing up to meet her gaze now and again over the top of his thick-rimmed glasses. He continued on with his work of the drawings, but she could see his mind racing before he answered her.  
  
“I know it wasn’t the most conventional way to save my life. If it was, I’m sure people would save each others lives more often,” he explained, a slight grin on his lips. “But you did it to save me and I’m grateful for that, Rose. It was a simple physical act, but I know it wasn’t something you wanted to do with me. You only did it because you had to.”  
  
Rose flinched as her own words were thrown back at her with more bite than she had given them. She could hear the bitterness; her statement had hurt his feelings.  
  
“I didn’t mean it like that. It was just Jack, he was giving me a hard time,” she explained. “It wasn’t like it was the worst thing in the world to do. Not at all.”  
  
Rose watched carefully for his reaction to this, but his expression remained blank as he still worked. She hated when he was like this, guarding his emotions. It was so frustrating; it just made her want to know even more what he was thinking. It made her try harder to get a rise out of him.  
  
“I dunno, I would’ve thought you could tell it wasn’t bad for me,” she murmured, her fingers playing coyly at the ends of her hair. “In fact, it was good. After all, you did make me...”  
  
Rose trailed off at this, letting the Doctor fill in the blanks as to what she was talking about. She also flicked her intense gaze up at him, meeting his eyes that had widened slightly at her suggestion. She also noticed he had stopped working, the pencil frozen in his hand, and his mouth dropped open a little. Rose looked down to see him swallow visibly and a blush of pink tinged his cheeks. She smiled a little to herself in triumph. She had gotten to him.  
  
The Doctor cleared his throat, shaking himself and ran his hands through his hair briskly. He frowned and open and closed his mouth a couple of times before answering her.  
  
“Right. Well. Okay. Not so bad then. Good to hear,” he quipped. “Glad I’ve learnt something in my nine hundred and a bit years. Otherwise that would be embarrassing wouldn’t it? A Time Lord who can travel through all space and time to save the world but is a hopeless shag.”  
  
Rose half-smiled as he grinned, making a joke out of it, but she was determined to continue this further. He wasn’t getting away that easily.  
  
“So, what about you then? Was it good?” she probed. “Was I... any good.? I mean, I don’t know much compared to you but I was okay, yeah?”  
  
The Doctor lost speech again and hurtled through facial expressions; first frowning and then looking surprised, followed by confusion. Rose knew he was trying to work out how to answer her question, obviously stunned that she had asked it in the first place. She liked having the upper hand for a change in their conversations. Though she normally bossed him around, he was always the one that knew better, had the answers, or at least had some sort of plan. But now she had caught him out, he didn’t know what to do.  
  
He put his pencil down and took his glasses off, standing up from behind the table. The Doctor paced back and forth, still running his hands through his hair. He then stopped and stared at her with a serious expression.  
  
“What– what’s with all the questions? Are you feeling alright?” he asked, getting his sonic screwdriver out to examine her. “Are you still being affected by that drug? Is that why you keep asking about sex?”  
  
Rose swatted him away, standing up from her chair and standing back from him. She frowned at him, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head.  
  
“No, I’m not still affected,” she said indignantly. “I’m fine. Just curious. Why don’t you wanna talk about this with me?”  
  
He put away his sonic screwdriver and sighed, rubbing his neck again with his hand.  
  
“Why do you? It’s not that important,” he replied. “It’s just sex. Normal everyday run-of-the-mill sex. I don’t understand why you’re so interested in talking about it with me.”  
  
Rose shrugged and sighed in frustration, shoving a hand in her pocket. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with the other, looking down at the floor.  
  
“I dunno. With me and Mickey not together anymore, and spending most of my time with you now,” she stumbled. “I’m young, y’know. I have needs, yeah?”  
  
The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets, sighing again, and levelled his eyes at her. He frowned a little and Rose shifted uncomfortably.  
  
“I’m not a replacement for Mickey. I invited you with me to explore the universe and travel across time. For adventure and excitement,” he explained. “Not to be your man in the sack. Is that what you want from me, Rose? Just sex?”  
  
“No. It’s just, it’s not like I’m gonna settle down and get married with kids on Earth, am I?” she replied irritably. “I just thought, since you’re the only bloke in my life from now on, it wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”  
  
His expression softened and he moved closer to her, holding her gaze with his warm brown eyes.  
  
“Of course not, but that’s not what I have companions for. You’re much more than that to me. I don’t want our relationship weighed down by something trivial like sex,” he said earnestly. “There’s much, much more to life than that.”  
  
Rose sighed in defeat. He just didn’t get it. He was assuming it was simply the physical act itself she wanted. But the point was, she wanted it with _him_. He didn’t think sex was an important thing, but it was important to her, wasn’t that enough?  
  
“Well, if it’s not a big deal like you say, then why not? Why can’t we?” she asked, playing with the ends of her hair again.  
  
She stared up at him through her long black lashes, trying to give him her best seductive gaze. She pressed her tongue out the corner of her mouth against her teeth and stepped a little closer to him.  
  
“Hey. Now. Don’t start that. I’ve had just about enough of everyone looking at me that way recently,” he warned. “I’m not some piece of meat up for grabs. This regeneration may be a little more… _foxy_ than previous ones but that’s no excuse. Why can’t you all just control yourselves, hmm?”  
  
Rose glared at him, stepping back and crossing her arms across her chest. She grabbed her hoodie from the chair she had been sitting on and turned abruptly to leave.  
  
“Fine. I’m just a stupid ape that can’t control herself. Never mind,” she snapped. “I’ll leave you alone. Just forget it.”  
  
The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh, reaching a hand out to try to stop her. She yanked away from his touch, rushing out of the room and slamming the door behind her. He called after her but it was to no avail.  
  
He stood dejected where she had left him, shoving a hand in his pocket and running the other through his hair.  
  
He knew he’d hurt her feelings but it was better this way. The Doctor didn’t like what she was suggesting for them to do; it had never been that way between them before. Had it? Had she always wanted to sleep with him and he’d never noticed? Perhaps. But it couldn’t be that way; he didn’t go to bed with his companions. It just complicated things, and he liked the way he and Rose were together currently. He didn’t want to ruin it. Rose would come to see that in time too. He hoped.  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Rose stayed in her room the rest of the afternoon, crying occasionally and thinking about everything that had happened. She didn’t know how to fix things with the Doctor; he may be able to go on as before, but she didn’t think she could. She couldn’t ignore what they’d done together, and it tore her up inside that he could treat it so frivolously.

Rose finally managed to tear herself from her room that evening, but not before blotting her eyes and reapplying some make-up. She didn’t want him to know how much this upset her. He would think her even more a stupid ape, getting so worked up over something he saw as so small. So, she steeled herself and made her way back out to the console room, where she knew the Doctor was still working.

He was fiddling away at some energy readings, trying to adjust them, but stopped when she entered the room. The air was thick with tension but Rose ignored it, striding over to the bench, sitting down on it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Doctor drop what he was doing and get up, eyes on her.

“Rose. About earlier. I didn’t mean to imply anything about you. I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” the Doctor explained. “I just meant I don’t want things to be complicated for us.”

Rose regarded him coolly, chin up and avoiding his gaze.

“Whatever. It’s fine. Doesn’t matter,” she said dismissively.

Her voice cracked as she spoke to him, giving away the pain that she was hiding underneath. The Doctor noticed this too, and sighed, frowning. He shoved his hands in his pockets, approaching her.

“I didn’t want everything that happened to come between us. I wanted things to be how they were before,” he said firmly. “Why do you want to change things?”

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes shining. She clenched her jaw and swallowed, determined not to cry. When the urge had passed, she let out a sigh and unfolded her arms from her chest.

“Everything that happened. I don’t see how it can be like before,” she explained. “It’s not that I want change. It’s all just…different. _I’m_ different.”

The Doctor didn’t say anything, he just looked at her. Rose shifted her weight, shrugging and shaking her head. She hated when he would just wait for her to keep talking instead of letting her know what he was thinking. She resigned herself to the fact that he wasn’t going to share his feelings on this subject with her, at least not now, so decided to change the topic a little.

“So anyway, I was going to go to a doctor back home to get checked out. But then I didn’t know if there’d be anything… _alien_ …inside me,” she said slowly.

The Doctor nodded, pulling his hands from his pockets and standing up straight. He adjusted his glasses and strode over to the Tardis displays, scrolling through information.

“Yes. Of course. Need to get you to a doctor as soon as possible before the egg begins to grow. Otherwise…it makes things much more difficult if we leave it until later on,” the Doctor rattled. “I need help for this. It’s a…delicate procedure.”

He began pulling levers and pushing buttons on the Tardis console, and the machine lurched forward, yanking them to their destination. When it finally shuddered to a halt, Rose stood up slowly, one hand bracing her abdomen, frowning.

“So, that’s just it then yeah? You decide to get rid of this,” she grumbled. “I don’t get a say then.”

The Doctor stopped his fiddling with levers and gave her hard look.

“Do you want this baby, Rose? Do you want to go through the agony of a Gallifreyan birth and bring a child into this life?” he asked sharply. “Are you willing to put it through all the danger, the excitement, the confusion and terror we face every day? Because you’d better be ready for it if that’s the case.”

Rose stared at the ground, still holding her belly, playing with her ear. She exhaled loudly and shrugged.

“Just would’ve liked to have been asked, s’all,” she muttered.

The Doctor sighed at her, running a hand through his hair, approaching her. He put an arm around her, pulling her to him, resting his chin on her head.

“I know you want to be a mum someday. I don’t blame you. Being a parent is one of the best things in the universe,” he murmured, his voice distant. “But you know what our lives are like. Always manage to get ourselves in trouble, no matter where we go. I couldn’t put a child through that because it doesn’t have a choice about being here. And if anything happened to you, or me – a child should have both parents.”

Rose looked up at him and swallowed, the Doctor’s soft brown eyes making her heart pound. Especially when he was talking about them being parents together. But she knew he was right. She loved her mum to bits but she always missed having her Dad around. It wasn’t what she wanted for her own kids.

“Yeah I know. I just forget sometimes, what it’s like to have a normal life,” she sighed. “This baby just made me think about it – what I’m missing.”

The Doctor squeezed her, kissing the top of her head. Rose closed her eyes, enjoying his warmth and inhaling his scent. Her heart skipped a beat at the smell, reminding her of the night they spent together, and she felt her knees give a little.

“Are you alright?” he asked, pulling back to look at her.

She nodded, pulling away from his embrace to clear her head. She swallowed and smoothed down her clothes, heading for the Tardis door.

“Yeah fine,” she replied, pasting on a smile. “Are we going to see this doctor or what?”

The Doctor jumped up, yanking himself from his daze, and strode toward the door to join Rose.

“It’s a planet with this clinic called Ramnifret Blue D5. They specialise in all sorts of unusual conditions, especially those of inter-species…unions,” he explained. “When beings from different planets start breeding with each other it causes all sorts of problems. Life-threatening births, incompatible genes – some don’t even have genes to be compatible _with_ , which is a whole other issue.”

Rose continued listening as they exited the Tardis and made their way along neatly grey-paved streets up to a large blue building at the top of a hill. It looked much like hospitals and clinics from earth, only the large, pale blue windows glittered like moving water in the sunshine. She also noted the pleasant smell as they entered the front doors; most clinics back home smelt like disinfectant or death.

The Doctor made his way over to a pixie-like woman behind the desk, presumably the receptionist. He flashed her a brilliant smile and pulled out his psychic paper.

“I’m here to see Dr Teng. I don’t have an appointment, but I have a patient here with a condition I know he’ll want to see,” the Doctor said politely. “Just tell him it’s Doctor Smith from Tardis.”

The receptionist looked at his paper, then stared at him a moment with her lime green eyes. She shrugged but nodded.

“He’s very busy right now with a new species-compatibility device but I’ll let him know you’re here,” she replied in a high-pitched voice.

She reached up to her ear-piece and spoke quickly to someone on the other end. She paused as they responded and then nodded, smiling. She then turned back to the Doctor.

“He’s just finishing up with a trial-run but he said for you to go in and see him,” she explained. “Third floor, through the double doors and into the main chamber. Have a nice day.”


	3. Chapter 3

  
  
When they arrived in the main chamber, a man with glasses and a neon yellow lab coat greeted them. He smiled broadly at the Doctor and shook his hand vigorously, then nodding politely at Rose in welcome. Rose assumed this was Dr. Teng by the way the Doctor recognised him, and she was a little taken aback at first. He was not at all as she imagined.   
  
He had short, sandy brown hair and green eyes, with a few freckles and a round nose. He was slightly shorter than the Doctor, but slightly bigger built around the chest. What surprised Rose about him was that he was so… _normal_. Usually the Doctor’s friends and acquaintances were bizarre, multi-coloured aliens with huge heads or bodies, or smelled funny.   
  
But not Dr. Teng. He was average height, average weight, not particularly handsome, not particularly ugly, just…average. She had half-expected him to be some loony silver-haired scientist that shrieked and danced about like a mad-man. Geniuses were supposed to be a bit weird, right?   
  
But he wasn’t, and his lab didn’t look that odd either. It was similar in feel to the Tardis, only with jars and pipettes instead of controls and wires. There were racks and racks of test tubes in glass-fronted fridges, and several high-tech looking microscopes in the centre of the room.   
  
Rose stared around the room as the Doctor and Dr. Teng caught up for a couple of minutes. Then, Dr. Teng turned to Rose and looked at her over his thin-framed glasses.   
  
“So, what condition is it that you have that the Doctor seems to think I will be so interested in?” he asked curiously.   
  
He raised an eyebrow at her and Rose shifted, clearing her throat.   
  
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered.   
  
Dr. Teng rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. He turned away, back to his new device, shaking his head.   
  
“Big deal, a pregnant human,” he snorted, and the Doctor frowned at his flippancy.   
  
“By the Doctor,” Rose clarified.   
  
Dr. Teng stopped what he was doing and whirled around to face her. He took his glasses off and approached her, an incredulous look on his face. He rubbed his hands in intrigue.   
  
“You’re having the baby of a _Time Lord_??” he gaped, and Rose nodded nervously.   
  
Dr. Teng reached for some of his measuring instruments, standing next to Rose and running them in front of her face and then down to her abdomen. Green lights glowed on them, and she saw a small blip appear on the display screen of one of them. She swallowed hard when she realised what the screen was displaying. It was her embryo.   
  
The Doctor saw the look on her face, and quickly approached, pulling Dr. Teng away for a moment. He adjusted his glasses and pushed his hands in his pockets.   
  
“That’s why we’re here actually. It was all a bit of an accident. I was sick with Cephalotax poisoning and was going to die. Rose took me to some human friends of hers who could help and they contacted a Delvian priestess,” he rambled. “She gave us some chemicals to help Rose conceive my baby so I could be cured. But seeing as I’m all better now, and Rose isn’t ready to be a mum, we need you to help with the termination.”   
  
Rose’s stomach lurched at the last word and images of her embryo flashed into her mind again. She had a strong feeling that this was all a bad idea, that she should get out of there and not let Dr. Teng take this away from her. It wasn’t that she really wanted to be a mum, it was just that she and the Doctor had created this together and it felt so special. She didn’t want to destroy it.   
  
Dr Teng looked disappointed too and put a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder.   
  
“Well, even though it wasn’t on purpose, I still think it’s a fantastic chance to restart the Time Lord bloodline,” he said slowly. “This is not something you should think of doing lightly. This could be your one chance to have a family, Doctor.”   
  
A troubled expression enveloped the Doctor’s face at this and he grabbed Dr. Teng’s arm firmly, a steely look in his eye.   
  
“I _had_ a family. They’re all dead now. I’ll thank you not to remind me of that,” he growled. “I came here for your help but if you’re going to be like this, I’ll just find someone else.”   
  
Dr. Teng extricated himself from the Doctor’s grip and smiled nervously, smoothing down his yellow lab coat with his hands.   
  
“No, no, that’s fine, I was just asking, since you’re the father,” he spluttered. “And Miss Rose, you’re sure you don’t want the baby?”   
  
Rose looked over at the Doctor for a moment, and he could see the sadness in her eyes before she turned away.   
  
“No. We… I can’t have a baby right now,” she muttered.   
  
The Doctor winced at the hurt in her voice as she spoke those words, and he suddenly felt guilty about bringing her here. He’d been harsh with her earlier, he knew it. He hadn’t meant to explode at her about the baby, but it made him nervous, all the talk about sex and having a family. And the Doctor never liked to feel uneasy about anything when it came to Rose; she was supposed to be his stone, his constant.   
  
And lately he had been feeling all out-of-sorts, partly to do with recovery from his drug-induced mania, but also because of the way Rose had responded to this whole mess. It made him on-edge, and snap at Rose when he really didn’t mean to. Her feelings toward him were making him question his feelings toward her.   
  
The Doctor had never really thought about it before, well, not at length anyway. He knew he cared deeply about Rose, he always did his companions, but now he suspected there was something else. The way he had acted when he spent the night with Rose troubled him. It hadn’t been like it had been with Jack, overtaken by animal lust clouding his brain and his judgement.   
  
At the time, he’d felt quite clear-headed when making love to Rose. It wasn’t just lust, he’d needed her in ways that made him ache inside, and he’d felt so at peace holding her in his arms afterwards. And those words he’d said to her. It frightened him because he knew he’d meant it. He just didn’t understand where it had all come from. Had he always felt this way about her?   
  
The Doctor was pulled from his daydream when he realised Rose and Dr. Teng were staring at him quizzically. He’d been silent for a few minutes, he realised, which was unusual for him. He cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses.   
  
“Um. Yes. Actually. There’s something I needed to do before we do this,” he explained, his voice cracking. “Is it alright if we come back tomorrow?”   
  
The Doctor felt a tug at his heart as he saw Rose sigh in relief, glad that she didn’t have to go through with this yet. She gave him a questioning look though, wondering about his motives for postponing this until tomorrow. Not that she blamed him, it was all going a bit fast and she had an uneasy feeling about Dr. Teng.   
  
Dr. Teng looked thankful that he didn’t have to do the procedure immediately, and nodded at the Doctor. He picked up a notebook and then began flicking through it.   
  
“That’s fine, I can prepare better for it if you come back tomorrow actually,” he said. “How’s 3pm tomorrow afternoon? I’m free after that.”   
  
The Doctor nodded and took Rose’s hand, making her jump a little. She stared up at him and the look in her eyes made his mouth suddenly dry. He shifted a little, giving her a quick smile, and then turned and led her out of Dr. Teng’s lab.   
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor finally talk things through on the pregnancy front.

  
  
After re-entering the Tardis, the Doctor hurried off to the library room again, and began rifling through the shelves searching for books on Galifrayan reproduction. The family he’d had before was so long ago, he couldn’t quite remember all the intricacies of pregnancy and childbirth. From what he knew and remembered, it wasn’t the most pleasant experience in terms of childbirth. Humans had it rough too, he knew that, but this was something different.   
  
He wanted to give Rose the information she needed to make this decision, one way or another, and what to expect if she did go through with the birth. He wanted her to be prepared and understand what she was going to experience. It wasn’t going to be a normal human pregnancy, and she needed to be ready for it. And honestly, so did he.   
  
The Doctor pulled out a few biology books and a thick tome specifically on pregnancy and children, and piled them onto a nearby table. He flicked open the large book on birth to the contents and scanned down the page to find information on initial stages of pregnancy. He adjusted his glasses and turned to the appropriate chapter.   
  
After a few minutes of reading, the Doctor heard some faint shoe-shuffling in the hall and looked up to see Rose standing awkwardly in the doorway. She gave him a faint half-smile, her gaze inquisitive as she noticed the books he had spread out on the table.   
  
He shut the book he was reading and stood up, stepping away from the table to approach her. Before he could explain his idea to her, Rose moved toward him and spoke.   
  
“So, why’re we going back to Dr. Teng tomorrow?” she probed. “I thought you wanted this done now.”   
  
The Doctor looked over at her, a perturbed expression across his features. His eyes darted back and forth into hers, as though he was trying to read her, or at least figure out what to say to her. He seemed apprehensive, and this was confirmed for Rose when he shoved his hands in his pockets and began scuffing his shoe on the Tardis floor.   
  
“Well, I thought I was rushing you a bit, and really it’s not super-urgent. Ultimately it’s your decision and I thought you might want some more time to think about it,” he explained, his gaze focused on the floor. “I shouldn’t have presumed you didn’t want it. You deserve a family, and if you want this then you can always go back home and start one.”   
  
He then looked up at her with soft eyes, and smiled a little. Rose frowned at him, perplexed by his change in attitude and slightly irritated by his implication about going back home. She moved a little closer to him, surprised at his nervous disposition as she came close to him.   
  
“You were right though, I don’t really wanna be a mum right now. And our lives are too dangerous to bring up a child in,” she said slowly, staring up at him. “But it was just the fact that I made this with you – it’s special to me. And it’s a new start for your people too.”   
  
The Doctor nodded at her and sighed. Rose sensed his anxiety and took his hand in hers, smiling.   
  
“So, I was thinking. I could go through with the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption,” she explained. “That way there gets to be more of the Time Lords, but the kid won’t be in danger with us. We could still have our regular life together.”   
  
The Doctor looked at her thoughtfully, squeezing her hand. He nodded again slowly and gestured with his other hand to the books on the table.   
  
“That’s what all this is about. I thought you should know about the pregnancy and birth. It’s not quite the same as humans,” he explained, still shifting nervously. “And I would imagine it will be more of a strain on you physically anyway, carrying a baby that’s part Galifrayan. Our reproduction is never easy. We’re a complicated bunch.”   
  
Rose grinned cheekily at him, nodding her head.   
  
“I’ll say,” she teased.   
  
The Doctor relaxed a little, and returned the grin, wrapping an arm around her waist.   
  
“Hey. Always making fun of me, you humans. I honestly don’t know why I put up with it,” he pondered. “You must be useful for something, I suppose.”   
  
He winked at her and smiled wider, flashing her his brilliant white teeth. Rose poked her tongue out at him, shoving him with her shoulder.   
  
“To keep your big head in check I think,” she replied, and the Doctor made a mock hurt face at her.   
  
They both laughed, but then Rose’s expression turned serious again. She pulled away from his warm embrace and stared up at him in earnest.   
  
“So, why’d you change your mind then?” she asked tentatively. “I thought you were set on me not having this baby.”   
  
The Doctor’s nervous disposition returned and he ran a hand through his hair.   
  
“Like I said before, I pushed you a bit. I’d thought you’d already decided that you weren’t having it. It was just a side-effect of…curing me. So, you didn’t want it,” he rushed. “Didn’t see any reason you’d want to keep it. Anyway, what would you want my baby for.”   
  
He muttered the last part so softly that Rose was only barely able to make it out. But she could still hear the pain in his voice as he uttered those words, and she was a little taken aback. It sounded as though the Doctor thought this was the most awful and uncomfortable thing in the world for her to have done and now go through. Which she found very strange, considering all the hints she’d dropped before and more recently. Was she being too subtle about how much he meant to her? Or maybe he was just another oblivious man.   
  
Rose took his hand again, smiling a little and looking up into the Doctor’s sad, defeated eyes.   
  
“Well, you and me, we’re…” she trailed off at the startled expression on his face, and decided on a different approach. “I’m gonna spend the rest of my life with you. Seems fitting I should keep your baby. There’s no other bloke in my life.”   
  
The Doctor wasn’t coping well with all this talk about the two of them; it felt like they were entering dangerous territory and he didn’t want to spoil things. He gave Rose a quick smile and then turned back to the table, pulling her over to where the books were. He saw her roll her eyes in frustration, but pretended he didn’t notice, and opened up one of the books again.   
  
“I’m not sure your pregnancy will be completely Galifrayan, but just in case, you should know all about what can happen. It’s difficult, and painful, and will probably be very disorientating for you,” he explained. “You will likely feel things no other human ever has during pregnancy, and unfortunately all I can do for you is give you this information and tell you what I know about it. There’s no women from Galifrey left to guide you through this.”   
  
A sadness was evident in his voice and his expression was wistful for a moment. Then he sat down at the table again and motioned for Rose to join him.   
  
“I may as well stay here and teach you myself, I suppose,” he said hesitantly. “I’ve got to relearn this stuff too so no point studying on our own and wasting time.”   
  
The Doctor cleared his throat and scanned through one of the books for a moment. Rose’s eyes lit up at the prospect of being taught by him and he looked at her warily. He knew her mischievous face when he saw it. He opened the book to a page of Galifreyan anatomy, with full body drawings of both male and female in intricate detail.   
  
“Not exactly as I remember, but close,” Rose murmured just loud enough for the Doctor to hear.   
  
A cheeky grin twitched at her lips, waiting for a reaction. She glanced sideways at the Doctor and watched as the tops of his ears blushed crimson, and a smattering of pink appeared on his cheeks. He inhaled quickly and squirmed uncomfortably in his chair.   
  
“Hey. If you’re not going to take this seriously, I’ll leave you to learn about it on your own,” he warned. “I won’t have you sniggering through this like a schoolkid.”   
  
Rose gave him an innocent smile, then winked at him and grinned wider.   
  
“Alright, I’ll behave,” she conceded.   
  
The Doctor gave her a long stare for a moment, then turned his attention back to the anatomy book.   
  
“Now, the people of Galifrey may look on the surface just the same as you humans, but inside is a different story,” he explained. “Most of the basic human organs and systems are there, though maybe slightly different in shape or numbers, as you already know. But the internal chemistry and neural pathways are different in a number of ways. Let me show you what I mean.”   
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor is unhappy about telling Jackie about the pregnancy.

After about an hour of teaching and explaining concepts to Rose, the Doctor sat back down in one of the chairs, putting his feet up on the table. He closed the biology books and began discussing what supplies they may need to buy, and what she needed to pick up from home. She reminded him she need to go back their soon and talk to her mum.

The Doctor seemed hesitant, making a face at the prospect of seeing Jackie after all this. Rose laughed in amusement at his coming predicament.

“Oh, my mum is so gonna kill you,” she chuckled. “She didn’t like the idea of the two of us travelling alone together. I can only imagine what she’s going to say about this.”

The Doctor gave her a pained look and then frowned, shaking his head.

“She’ll rabbit on in my ear and give me a slap in the head, knowing her,” he sighed, rubbing his head in phantom pain. “Accuse me of taking advantage of you no doubt, the evil alien I am.”

Rose gave him a shy smile, pressing her tongue against the top side of her teeth in the way she knew he liked.

“Don’t think it was you that was taking advantage, as I remember it,” she grinned quietly.

She watched in delight as his cheeks flushed, and knew that he was recalling some of what happened that night. He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably.

“Anyway. Do we really have to tell to your mother? Can’t we just see her after you’ve had the baby?” he suggested. “She’ll never know, and I’ll never have to cope with a beating about the head.”

Rose shook her head and sighed.

“My mum has a way of finding things out, she always knows when I’m not telling her something,” she explained. “It’ll be worse if I don’t tell her now and she finds out later, trust me.”

The Doctor made a face, resigned to the fact that he would now have to hear all about what a dirty old man he was from Jackie, and how he should be ashamed of himself for leading young girls astray. But it wasn’t just any young girl, this was Rose, _his_ Rose, and it wasn’t like that at all.

She was there to help him, keep him company, be his companion in every sense of the word. He didn’t look down on her as some silly little girl that inflated his ego and did as she was told. In fact, Rose never did as she was told, even when it meant her life was in danger. That’s what he liked about her.

She wasn’t as young and naïve as Jackie seemed to think. Or maybe it wasn’t that at all, the Doctor suddenly realised. Maybe Jackie did know what Rose was like, and that was the problem. He remembered Rose telling him early on that her mother thought she was infatuated with him. Maybe Jackie knew what that meant for their relationship.

The Doctor didn’t really know what Rose’s attitude was toward men she was dating, or had feelings for. With Mickey, it always seemed more like they were best friends, who just happened to sleep together, not love or infatuation. And he didn’t know about before that. He’d never asked about her personal life. She was nineteen when he first met her, she could have dated plenty before that, before Mickey.

The Doctor’s fingers played absently with a pencil that was sitting on the table, his mind ticking away at how to approach the subject with Rose. He glanced up at her a few times, mostly focusing on the pencil, and tilting his head to the side slightly. He noticed Rose staring at him, a knowing look on her face and he put the pencil down in embarrassment, taking his feet off the table.

“What? What is it?” she asked. “I can see the gears turning in that big noggin of yours, so out with it.”

He smiled in amusement. She was always so good at reading him. Even when he didn’t say anything, she could tell his shifts in mood. That comforted him, and stoked the fire he had for her in his hearts.

“Oh. Well I was just wondering if anything like this has come up with your mum before? I know the two of you are close, so I just wanted to know how she might react,” he explained.

Rose grinned at him and shook her head.

“Have I told my mum before that I’ve been impregnated by a time-travelling alien?” she chuckled. “No, it’s never come up before.”

The Doctor grinned and rolled his eyes.

“That’s not what I meant,” he replied dryly, shaking his head.

“I know what you meant,” Rose replied, her tone serious now. “You want to know if I’ve thought I was pregnant before.”

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He closed it again and took his glasses off. Rose gave him a half-smile and sat back in her chair.

“Yeah, I have. Back when I was about fifteen. Scared the living hell out of me. I thought I was going to end up like all those girls on the estate, living at home with their mums and babies of their own,” she admitted. “Turned out I was worrying for nothing, but it still made me think.”

She watched the Doctor carefully for a response. Though his expression itself gave nothing away, Rose could see it in his eyes. Concern for her, surprise at her young age. She wondered what this meant he thought of her. If he had thought about her in this context before.

She sat forward again, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin on one of her hands. She held the Doctor’s gaze as he continued to look at her, saying nothing.

“I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering how young I was when I started sleeping with blokes in the first place then,” she said.

The Doctor didn’t respond but the look in his eyes told her he had thought about it.

“Too young. About thirteen. I didn’t really understand about everything then. I just thought that’s what girls did with their boyfriends. Well, they did where I’m from anyway,” she explained. “Not much of boyfriends though. Just someone to make you feel you belonged. That you were good enough to be around all the others.”

Rose composed herself and sat up, readjusting her hair. The Doctor reached over, closing his hand over hers and giving it a squeeze. He gave her a small smile, his eyes shining with concern. But he still said nothing, so she continued.

“Anyway, I didn’t tell my mum about the pregnancy scare. Not at the time, or later on. But she knew what I was like anyway,” Rose said. “Like I said, she has a way of finding things out, and she knew who I was hanging out with and what I was getting up to. That’s why she’s so hard on you. She’s worried for me.”

“She thinks I’m like those stupid teenage human boys? I would never treat you like that, she should know that,” he grunted, standing up from his chair in annoyance and pacing about.

Rose stood up, following him, and grabbed his hand, stopping him. He looked at her, his expression a mixture of anger and hurt. As he held her gaze, it softened into concern.

“I would never, ever treat you like that,” he murmured, embracing her in a warm hug. “I promised your mother I would look after you, and I will, and with the baby.”

Rose tilted her head and stared up at him, her wide, hazel eyes filled with affection and trust. All the Doctor could hear were his hearts pounding in his ears, and he reached a hand up to her cheek, gazing back at her. His eyes wandered over the soft shapes of her face; those long, black lashes and deep eyes, her rosy cheeks and small, round nose, and finally down to her full, pink lips.

Without even thinking, he leaned down and kissed her lips, pressing his mouth onto hers gently and in earnest. If Rose was surprised by this sudden affection, she didn’t show it, and instead stood relaxed in his arms and let him kiss her. Her lips were soft and sweet, and radiated a warmth and tenderness that made the Doctor ache to deepen the kiss.

But it was this urge that yanked him back to reality and he realised what he was doing. He broke the kiss and looked at Rose nervously, a startled expression gracing his features. But she didn’t look taken aback or uneasy at all, and simply stared up at him with a look in her eyes he had seen only once before. When he had made love to her.

The Doctor swallowed thickly and felt his stomach lurch as memories of that night came rushing back to him. He quickly tore his eyes from Rose’s gaze to push down those thoughts and feelings, and unwrapped his arms from around her, pulling away a little.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, eyes darting here and there, always avoiding contact with hers. He cleared his throat and changed the subject in an attempt to cover up the discomfort and embarrassment he was feeling from being so indulgent.

“So. Anyway. I’d better let Dr. Teng know that you’re having the baby now. We’ll still go back to see him though. He’ll be able to give us a better idea of what to expect during pregnancy,” The Doctor rattled. “He knows more about interspecies pregnancy than I do, so I could use his help. And he will probably want to check you over and do some blood tests and so on anyway.”

He turned back to the table and began busying himself with tidying the books they’d been using. He sorted the most important texts into a neat pile and turned back, handing them to Rose. He concentrated hard on looking unaffected by the previous incident, blanking his expression as he glanced up at her.

“You can take these and read them over again whenever you want. If you have any questions, just ask. I’ll just be on the phone for a bit,” he explained.

And with that, he turned on his heel and rushed out of the library room, leaving Rose standing alone with the books, a small smile curling on the corners of her mouth in contentment.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose discovers an interesting quirk of the Tardis.

Rose looked about the Tardis for the Doctor for a little while after he had rushed off to make that phone call, but couldn’t find him anywhere. She was going to ask him if he wanted any dinner, but he was obviously avoiding her so she gave up.

Instead, she made herself to nice big bowl of spaghetti bolognaise and sat down in one of the lounge rooms on a big comfy sofa chair. She pulled her knees up, resting the bowl on the top of them as she ate, and switched on the TV.

She flicked channels for a bit before coming to the BBC news, and left it there. She figured she should probably catch up on local happenings, so she had something to talk about other than space travel, when she went home to see her mum.

Once she had finished her food, she set the bowl on the table and then settled back onto the sofa chair, tucking her legs underneath herself. She watched the newsreader talk about a car accident somewhere, and then the prime minister talking about something or other else.

After a few minutes, she realised she felt rather warm in this room, and pulled off her hoodie, throwing it on the side of one of the sofas. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and tied it loosely with a hair tie.

A few more minutes later, Rose realised it was actually quite warm, which was unusual because the Tardis normally had very good temperature controls. She stood up and stepped out of the lounge room to check the temperature in the hallway. It was the same. It wasn’t just the lounge room that was hot.

She chewed her lip as she wandered down the corridors, surveying the temperature of the kitchen, the library, the main control room and the laundry. They were all hot too, and it was worrying. Failure of something like this usually meant that something was wrong with the Tardis. And that was never good.

A knot began to develop in Rose’s stomach as the lights suddenly flickered overhead, buzzing and spluttering. She rushed back to the lounge room to find the TV signal also cutting in and out. She turned it off and then headed back out into the rest of the Tardis to find the Doctor.

As she rounded one of the hall corners, she pressed her hand against the wall to push off from it, and then pulled her hand back in shock. The walls were warm too. She paused, carefully touching the Tardis wall again with the tips of her fingers.

Her eyes widened as she felt a heat and hum being transmitted through the walls onto her fingers and down into her hand. She pressed her palm against the panel to get a better feel, and felt her breath catch in her throat at the strange sensation buzzing into her body.

Rose furrowed her brow, concentrating, as she tried to work out what it was that was going on with the Tardis. The lights flickered again and she looked up to see them glow brighter then fade back to normal again. And the buzz in the wall seemed to be building.

It wasn’t electricity, she knew that. It was something else. Something so familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She was sure the Doctor would know, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Rose gripped the wall as the Tardis shifted, moving a little. She was sure the Doctor had said they were parked somewhere. Maybe something going on outside the Tardis was affecting it.

She rushed to the main control room, and brought up the view monitor for outside. But there was nothing. They were just parked on an empty field on a random planet, with cloudy skies but fine weather. The wind didn’t even look that high.

Whatever was up with the Tardis was coming from inside. She moved back to one of the walls again and pressed both her hands against, as well as her cheek. Rose closed her eyes, focusing on the hum and the warmth radiating from it.

Her eyes flew open again as the answer suddenly dawned on her. She stared at the wall in shock, not quite believing that it could be that. It sure felt that way. But it couldn’t be right, could it?

~*~

The Doctor had retreated to his room after their kiss, making sure it was completely locked so he wouldn’t have to face Rose anytime soon. He knew it was silly and he should be more mature, but he felt so mixed up inside at the moment.

He needed to sort out for himself how he felt about Rose, about all of this. This was exactly the reason he didn’t usually get so involved with his companions. Everything was so complicated. Bloody humans and their convoluted emotions.

He sighed to himself and picked up the phone in his room, dialling Dr. Teng’s number. The Doctor explained to him about the new situation, which he seemed oddly happy about, and that they wouldn’t need to visit for about another week. Rose’s body should have started showing change due to the pregnancy by then.

After the phone call, he stood up and wondered what to do next. He couldn’t go out and occupy himself in the rest of the Tardis, as he might run into Rose. But he wasn’t entirely comfortable about pacing up and down in here with his own thoughts either.

The Doctor realised his hearts were racing and his palms were sweaty after his kiss with Rose, and he needed something to calm himself down. A nice cold shower sounded like a good idea. He stepped into his ensuite bathroom, stripped down and turned the water onto cold with the dial.

He jumped under the water, shivering, and rubbed his hands through his hair, wetting his head properly. His skin rose into goose bumps and he took a few deep breaths. This was better. Well, a little.

His skin felt colder but his hearts still seemed to be pounding away, ignoring his orders to calm down. The Doctor wondered if he was still being affected a little by the drug. Possibly. Maybe that was why he had been so impulsive and kissed Rose in the library.

Bringing back the thought of kissing Rose made his hearts speed up again, and he frowned at the poor time he was having at controlling his impulses. Still, he couldn’t get those soft lips out of his head, or the way her tongue curled around his as she kissed him. Wait a minute, that wasn’t today. That was from before.

The Doctor sighed to himself as more memories from that night flooded his mind, and he felt his skin grow warm under the cold spray of the shower. He remembered the way Rose’s body curved in all the right places; the ample flesh of her bum and thighs, and the soft, lovely mounds of her breasts as she lay naked on her back in front of him.

He let out a shaky sigh, trying to purge these thoughts from his head, but his mind refused to let them go. His body was responding noticeably to the mental stimulation, and it bothered him that he was acting so much like a human male. The drug definitely still had to be affecting him.

The Doctor couldn’t remember thinking such things about Rose before, but then again, he’d never had anything to draw these ideas from previously. Now he had personal experience. He knew the soft feel of her skin under his fingertips, and the way her body arched up to his touch in yearning.

He knew the way the skin of her abdomen and belly smelled like vanilla, and how a smile always played on her lips when he ran his hands gently down her thighs. The Doctor swallowed, grabbing hold of himself almost unconsciously, as he remembered the noises of pleasure that had escaped her lips when his fingers began exploring her, outside and inside. The wet warmth of her centre as he’d probed his fingers here and there, and the way her mouth dropped open and her brow furrowed when he hit the spot she really liked.

He braced himself against the shower wall with one arm, pressing his forehead against it, as his other hand worked its way up and down himself, more quickly now. The Doctor felt the Tardis shudder, and saw the lights flicker a little, and he knew it was his doing.

But still he continued on, his thoughts racing back to his exploration of Rose that night. He remembered the way she had looked when he had removed her knickers to get a better look – nervous but aching for his touch. He recalled the dark, soft hair that covered her there, and the flutter of her eyelids as his fingers began probing again.

The Doctor let out a soft groan, feeling himself surge and twitch, as thoughts of the way Rose tasted filled his head. He could have done that all night, licked and stimulated her over and over, making her come again and again, until she couldn’t take anymore. And he wanted it again now. He wanted her wetness on his lips again, his tongue to play with that sensitive clit of hers, his head buried between her legs. He craved it.

This was almost too much for him to bear, the thoughts of going down on Rose again, touching himself under the warm water of the shower. He heard the Tardis lights spluttering at his desire, and he turned his head to press his hot cheek against the cold tiles of the shower wall. His body was beginning to shudder in desperation, and images of Rose’s pleasured face filled his head, sending his blood burning through his veins.

The pitch of her voice as she came, calling his name, echoed in his head, and the Doctor let out his own noises of want as he approached the brink himself. His hand worked in earnest now, bringing himself closer and closer, his mind filled with the sounds and images of an aroused Rose, naked and ready for him to make love to. He bit his lip at the memory of her sliding herself onto him – the tight, warm feel of her surrounding his erection.

The Doctor couldn’t hold on any longer when his thoughts turned to her coming on him, her muscles squeezing and writhing around him. He let out a groan, gripping himself tightly as he came, the pleasurable heat throbbing through him hard. His eyelids were heavy as watched himself release out against the wall and down over his hand.

He stood there for a few moments letting the water wash over him and away his own mess, the pound of his hearts and his heavy breathing the only sounds in his ears. He turned slowly, shakily, pushing off from the wall to bear his own weight. His legs trembled as he stood under the warm water of the shower, and he carefully rinsed his hands then ran them through his hair.

The Doctor swallowed, a little numb and a little surprised at his own actions. He had not done anything like that in a long time, and he felt somewhat ashamed by it. He was never usually a slave to physical desires. Still, the way it had made him feel just to recall all of those memories of Rose was remarkable. It made him burn for her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose isn't sure what to do after what she discovered about the Doctor.

Rose wasn’t sure exactly what to do afterwards. Should she confront the Doctor about what she’d learnt, or just pretend like nothing happened? Or maybe somewhere in between was the best option. After all, if she didn’t mention how the Tardis had gone all peculiar, he’d know something was up. He’d know she knew. And she didn’t want that. Not yet anyway.

When the Doctor entered the room, she snapped out of her reverie and jumped up, trying to feign worry.

“Did you see all that? What was it?” Rose asked, approaching him.

The Doctor stared at her for a moment, a blank look in his eyes.

“Hmm? What? What was what?” he asked.

Rose motioned to the ceiling and the Tardis console.

“The lights and the heat and everything,” she explained. “It went all… skewwhiff. Didn’t you notice it?”

The Doctor moved past her to the control column, waving his hand dismissively.

“Oh, it was nothing. Just a glitch in the systems,” he said flippantly, staring intently at one of the monitors.

He pushed a few buttons and began scrolling through information on the screen.

“But it was just a bit weird, don’t you think? The lights were all crackly and I’ve never known the thermostat to give out like that,” she persisted.

The Doctor gave her an amused smile, and then began fiddling with levers again.

“Well, I hate to tell you this, but you don’t know everything about the Tardis,” he informed her. “I’ve been around her a much longer time than you, and she still does things that surprise me, even now.”

“I’ll bet,” she murmured.

“What?”

“What? I didn’t say anything,” Rose said innocently. “So anyway, you don’t think failure of environmental controls and lights is a big deal? It’s not something I should be worried about?”

The Doctor shook his head, rushing off to the other side of the control column. Rose jumped out of the way as he bumped past her. She had no idea what he was doing, and he gave no indication that he was in the mood to explain it to her either.

“Nope, it’s nothing. Just forget about it,” he replied, his eyes still on one of the readout monitors. “You don’t need to give it a second thought.”

Rose stared at him for a moment, then sat back on the flight seat, defeated. She was hoping to get him to confess, at least in part, to what he had been doing in the shower. Or at least hint at it, to embarrass him. But he wasn’t caving.

She didn’t mind that much, to be honest. It had been a long day, and she was tired. She yawned and stretched, pulling her arms up to reveal just a hint of her stomach beneath her shirt. Rose watched in amusement as she caught the Doctor’s eyes wander away from the monitor and land themselves on that spot, roving the naked flesh of her belly.

She grinned at him and his eyes darted away, pretending to be concentrating on the monitor. She pushed her shirt back down and smoothed down her clothing, a twinkle in her eye. Rose stood up from the flight bench and headed toward the corridor.

“I’m off to bed, see you in the morning,” she called.

The Doctor still didn’t look away from what he was doing but acknowledged her with a nod.

“Night,” he murmured.

~*~

Rose awoke the next morning with butterflies in her stomach. She was going home today to tell her mum about the pregnancy. It wasn’t going to go well, she knew it. Her mum was hysterical at the best of times, but when it came to the Doctor it was no holds barred.

And no doubt Jackie wouldn’t believe that the sex wasn’t intentional; she’d been convinced from day one that the Doctor was trying to get her in the sack. Rose scoffed at the idea. He avoided anything remotely sexual or romantic like the plague. Unless he was talking about it in clinical terms. Then it was just boring.

Still, Jackie would never believe that. He was an older man that her daughter adored, and that could only mean trouble. Rose wondered if her mum would ever forgive him for this. Especially since they weren’t keeping the baby to raise.

She sighed nervously as she dressed and applied her makeup. She would need a good breakfast and cup of tea before she faced her mum this morning, to settle her stomach. As Rose headed out to the kitchen, she was surprised to find the Doctor in there, already cooking.

“What’s all this?” she asked, gesturing to his creation in progress. “Did you do something bad I should know about?”

The Doctor’s amused expression wavered for a moment at her comment, but then he grinned again, shaking his head.

“New mums should have a hearty breakfast to keep themselves and the baby healthy. You need good dose of protein, along with carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals,” he explained. “Oh and plenty of dairy for strong bones. Can’t forget that.”

Rose stared at him in bemusement, and then shook her head. She walked over to the kettle to put it on, but the Doctor intercepted her, shooing her out of the cooking area.

“Out, out, shoo. Sit down at the table. I’ll make the tea,” he twittered. “You just sit there and wait, it’s my turn to get breakfast.”

Rose sat down, perplexed at his attitude. They didn’t take turns making meals; they just sort of ate whenever. Besides, the Doctor didn’t eat as regularly as her, so they didn’t often have sit down meals together. And she certainly hadn’t had him cook for her before. She didn’t even know he _could_ cook.

Breakfast wasn’t exactly rocket science, though she was sure he was exceedingly brilliant at that too. Today however, it was just scrambled eggs with spinach, baked beans on toast, grilled tomato and a side bowl of sliced strawberries. The Doctor finished up, and set it out in front of her, before returning with her cup of tea. He then sat across from her with just his own cuppa, and grinned.

Rose stared at him, then down at the plate, and back up at him again. She picked up her tea, sipping it, and narrowed her eyes.

“What do you want then? Go on, out with it,” she demanded to know. “This can’t all be for nothing.”

The Doctor frowned at her, setting his tea down on the table.

“What? I’m not allowed to make breakfast for my companion??” he asked curtly. “For the woman who’s having my baby?”

Rose’s expression softened, realising she had offended him. She reached a hand out across the table to his.

“I didn’t mean– ”

“No, it’s fine, you don’t want it, I’ll just take it away,” he replied, pulling his hand away and standing up from his chair. “Doesn’t matter anyway, it’s just breakfast. I’ll just throw it.”

He rounded the table and reached down to take the plate away, but Rose’s hand held his forearm, stopping him. She looked up at him with soft eyes.

“No, it’s okay. I just thought…you’ve never done anything like this before. I wasn’t expecting it, s’all,” she explained. “It’s lovely. Thank you.”

The Doctor let go of her plate, and Rose’s hand slipped down his arm to his hand, which she took hold of. She squeezed it gently, smiling up at him, and his expression softened too. He smiled tenderly back at her, and squeezed her hand in return. They stayed there for a moment, holding hands dearly, looking into each other’s eyes.

Rose could hear her heart beating in her ears as she held his gaze, his eyes so deep and open to her. She could see his emotions surging behind them, and she ached for him to tell her how he really felt about all this. He had kissed her yesterday – that had to mean something. But he still wouldn’t say.

He broke the stare abruptly, letting go of her hand and heading back round to the other side of the table. The Doctor began sipping on his tea again, grinning at her. Rose began tucking into her breakfast.

“So, what are your bets for when you tell your mum about this? Nervous breakdown? Fainting?” he asked cheekily. “Personally I’m going for the always spectacular head explosion.”

Rose grinned back at him, shaking her head and swiping a slap at his hand across the table.

“Oi, that’s my Mum you’re talking about,” she warned. “And what’s this _me_ telling her about it? We are _both_ going.”

The Doctor made a face, wrinkling his nose and frowning.

“Oh, do I have to? She’s just going to give me a hiding if I go,” he whined. “There’s nothing I can say that will make any difference. She’s not going to listen to me anyway.”

Rose shook her head, chewing on some strawberries. When she was done with those, she started hoeing into the scrambled eggs. Now that she thought about it, she was really quite hungry. This breakfast would do her good.

“Don’t care. You’re still coming,” she stated.

The Doctor sighed in defeat, resting his head on his chin and pushing his bottom lip up. As Rose finished up her toast, she watched him, chuckling.

“What?” he asked indignantly.

“You,” she replied. “Sulking.”

“I’m not sulking. I’m just…displeased,” he argued.

“In other words, sulking,” Rose grinned.

The Doctor frowned at her, but a smile played on his lips.

“Time Lords don’t sulk. We ponder. Contemplate. Brood. Maybe pout,” he explained. “But we don’t sulk.”

Rose cut her tomato in half and began nibbling on it. She gave him a sceptical stare.

“What do you call that lip then?” she asked. “That bottom one is a sulking lip.”

She smiled at him, squishing a soft piece of tomato between her teeth. The Doctor folded his arms, shaking his head. His bottom lip poked out again.

“There’s nothing wrong with my bottom lip, thank you very much. It’s a good lip,” he replied, his voice pitching up in defence. “It’s not used for sulking. It’s used for speaking, and eating, and occasionally dribbling. But never sulking.”

Rose laughed at his defensive nature, and poked him with her foot under the table. She chewed on the last pieces of strawberry, and then stood up, clearing the table of her plate and cutlery. He was such a liar. He did sulk, and often. Whenever she teased him regarding something he was sensitive about, that bottom lip would come out.

“Oh alright, I’m sorry, you weren’t sulking,” she said, laughing. “And I’m sorry I insulted your lip. It is a nice lip. Would you like me to kiss it better?”

She meant it as a joke, but felt the Doctor’s hand grab her wrist. Rose turned to see his eyes dark and heavy, burning into her and a serious expression on his face.

“Yeah, go on then,” he dared her.

Her mouth went dry and she stopped dead, her heart pounding. Her eyes were wide at him.

“You what?” she managed.

She’d hoped he was messing about, but the smile at the corner of his lips was more of a challenge than a joke. And still he stared at her with those intense eyes.

“You offered to kiss my lip better and I’m taking you up on it,” he explained, pulling her wrist to tug her closer to him.

Rose stared down at him as he looked up at her from his chair, unable to break away from his heavy gaze. She swallowed, her mouth falling open a little. She could hardly believe what she was hearing; the Doctor didn’t normally speak to her this way. But that meant he was probably going to change his mind any second, so she stopped her hesitation.

She grabbed hold of his face with both hands, cupping his cheeks and staring into his eyes. She broke their gaze to look down at his mouth, which was open slightly, and traced the shape of his bottom lip with her thumb. Rose saw him swallow visibly at this, and any hint of smile was wiped from his lips.

Before she lost her nerve, she leaned down and grazed her lips along his bottom one, then pressed them more firmly into a kiss. His eyes fluttered shut, eyebrows arching up in surprise, and Rose began planting soft kisses all along his bottom lip.

From where her hands were placed, she could feel his heartbeats pounding in his throat as she kissed him, as well as the shaky breaths he took. She pushed her lips a little harder against his mouth and took his bottom lip between hers, sucking on it gently. The Doctor sighed audibly at this and his eyelids flickered open to meet her gaze.

Rose didn’t know how far to take this right now. She could easily seal his mouth with her own to kiss him properly and knew he wouldn’t stop her, but she wasn’t sure if he would regret it afterwards. It may make their relationship take a step backwards, so she needed to take things slowly, and make sure he wanted it.

Reluctantly, she released his lip with one last slow suck and straightened up, staring down at him. He looked dazed and surprised, though still clearly pleased, and sat back in his chair.

“Better?” Rose asked, pressing her lips together.

An amused smile curled on his lips, and his eyes danced.

“Much…” he murmured.

They stayed there for a moment, the Doctor stunned in the kitchen chair with Rose standing over him, pleased with herself. Then she turned away and motioned toward the corridor.

“Time to go to my mum’s, yeah?” she asked, her voice wavering a little.

The Doctor cleared his throat and stood up. He put his glasses on and smoothed down his suit, before striding up and past her toward the control room.

“Right. Yes. Let’s get going,” he announced.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Rose break the news to Jackie.

Rose’s stomach was tied up in knots the whole time they made their way to her Mum’s flat, and as she greeted Jackie hello. They did the usual catch-up chat and Rose inquired how everything was going on the estate, but in the back of her mind she knew she should get straight to the point. She was only putting off the inevitable.

“Mum, I don’t want you to get upset, but I’ve got something to tell you,” she explained.

“Oh, here we go. What is it now? Is he taking you away from me for six months again? Or another bunch of Doctor groupies after you?” Jackie asked suspiciously. “I never know anymore whose actually interested in me, and not you two.”

“No, nothing like that,” Rose said slowly. “I’m…pregnant…”

Jackie’s eyes locked on to the Doctor, and he began backing up when he saw the furious expression on her face.

“Jackie, wait– ”

“You slimy, soddin’ alien! I told you to look after my daughter and what happens?? You looked after her alright! You took such good care of her that you managed to coerce her into bed! And now she’s having your alien lovechild!” Jackie hollered. “Was this your plan all along? Pick up some young human girl, dazzle her with space travel and then keep her as your sex pet?! Well you can think again, mate!”

Rose cringed at her mother’s verbal assault on the Doctor, and jumped in the way before she began physically assaulting him. So instead, Jackie began picking up nearby objects to hurl at him, including a box of tissues, some freshly washed underwear and a set of ballpoint pens.

“Mum!” she cried, half embarrassed. “He didn’t coerce me! It’s a long story. Which I’ll explain to you if you just calm down.”

Jackie stopped her attempt to throttle the Doctor and her flinging of random objects, but still stood her ground, glaring at him. Her gaze then locked on Rose, staring at her disapprovingly. She folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight back onto one foot.

“You tell me you’re pregnant to an alien however-many hundred years older than you, and you want me to be calm? My own daughter is havin’ a baby, what did you expect?!” she exclaimed. “Oh my god, I’ll be a grandmother. No-one’s calling me granny. Or grandma. It’ll have to be nan or nanna. What am I going to tell Bev?”

Rose grabbed her mother by the shoulders, pushing her back and sitting her down on the sofa. She sat down next to her and then looked up at the Doctor, who was standing awkwardly near the hallway, watching Jackie warily.

“D’you want to put the kettle on?” she asked him softly.

He nodded gently and headed for the kitchen. Rose turned back to her mum and sighed. Jackie was staring at her expectantly, a displeased expression on her face.

“Well,” Rose said slowly. “Guess I should start at the beginning.”

~*~

When Rose was done telling her mother everything, albeit an abridged version, Jackie sat back in the sofa, a little bewildered. She took the last sip of her tea and then set the mug on the table. She looked over at Rose again, pressing her lips together.

“Are you sure you want to do this sweetheart?” she asked gently. “You’re still young. I don’t want you to give up your youth and then regret it later. I mean, you’re only _just_ pregnant aren’t you…?”

Rose nodded and swallowed at what her mother was insinuating.

“I know what you’re getting at, and I’ve already thought about it,” she explained. “I just can’t. It’s hard to explain.”

She looked over at the Doctor. His eyes met hers, warm and affectionate. He smiled at her a little and she grinned back at him sheepishly. Jackie saw this and frowned.

“Well, there’s no way I’m letting you go trekking across space and time with a baby,” Jackie said firmly. “I know how much trouble you get yourselves into, and I won’t let you do that to a child. You’ll have to stay here until it’s grown.”

Rose glanced over at the Doctor again and bit her lip.

“Actually, we already thought of that too. I’m putting it up for adoption,” she said, taking a deep breath. “The Doctor knows someone who will look after it and keep its identity a secret.”

Jackie’s face crumpled and she reached for a tissue.

“You mean I’m never going to see my grandchild?” she sniffled. “It’s going to live with some strange aliens on some strange planet? And never know its family?”

She began to blubber and Rose wrapped her in a hug. The Doctor looked at them in sympathy and cautiously perched on the sofa next to Jackie.

“I’m sorry. I know many unsavoury types that would like to get their hands on our baby. The child will be completely safe this way,” he said softly.

Jackie glared at him through her tear-filled eyes, but her expression softened when she looked at Rose. She began blubbering again.

“I wanted you to have a proper family. Husband and kids and a nice house,” she sniffed. “I’d thought maybe when you were done travelling with the Doctor. Or he was done travelling.”

She looked over at him, and he shifted uncomfortably. He knew she wanted him to stay and settle down with Rose, but he couldn’t do that. Live a regular human life with house, kids, job, friends. He wasn’t like that. He didn’t stick around places too long, it wasn’t in his nature.

And the Doctor knew Rose wasn’t just going to give up travelling with him. She’d said so herself before. She would spend the rest of her life with him. But Jackie didn’t know that, and he knew it would kill her to find out.

“I’ll take good care of Rose while she’s pregnant, you don’t have to worry,” he said, changing the subject.

“And I’ll come visit every few weeks, yeah?” Rose added. “We can go shoppin’ for maternity clothes and any weird foods I crave.”

Jackie blew her nose and dried her eyes. She nodded, settling down a bit. She sighed heavily.

“I suppose I should be grateful you told me. With your time machine thingy, you could’ve just had the baby without me knowing,” she said.

“Oh Mum, I would never do that, I want to share this with you,” Rose said, giving the Doctor a hard look.

Jackie nodded again and then turned to the Doctor, slapping him up side the head.

“Mum!” Rose cried.

The Doctor cried out in pain, rubbing his head and scowling at Jackie. She folded her arms across her chest indignantly.

“You’re lucky that’s all I gave you, for knocking my daughter up,” she defended. “You really deserve thumping, you know.”

Rose rolled her eyes, and the Doctor jumped up warily, unsure if Jackie would attack him again.

“If you don’t need me, I think I’ll go back to the Tardis,” he grumbled. “I’ll come back in a few hours so you can catch up with your mum.”

Rose nodded and Jackie waved him away dismissively. As he walked down the hallway and out the flat, Rose sighed, knowing she was about to get a very long lecture from her mother.

~*~

When all the lecturing and explaining and arguing was done with, Rose began to gather together a few provisions from her room. She packed a bag with some more comfortable clothing, as well as toiletries and medicine. She would need to go to the shop soon and pick up a few more things, though really she had no idea what was going to happen to her during this pregnancy.

Rose was just finishing closing her backpack when she noticed a photo album sticking out a little from under her bed. She pulled out the small book and sat down on the bed, opening it up. Her heart jumped into her throat when she realised which one it was. It was her most recent album – a collection of photos from a couple of years ago. Most of them taken with Mickey.

Her heart ached at the sight of his silly grin, arms draped around hers. The photos were taken all over the place: some on the estate, some from in the city centre, a few from their holiday to Greece, and a bunch with her mum and friends at Christmas. A few tears slipped down her cheeks as her eyes roved over the photos.

Despite the fact that they were no longer together as a couple, Rose really missed Mickey. He was an excellent mate, and in the end, he wasn’t a half-bad travel companion with the Doctor. She wished he were here now, to be by her side through this pregnancy. She chuckled to herself, still teary, as she imagined Mickey’s reaction, no doubt wanting to pummel the Doctor himself.

Still, she knew he would be there to support her, as someone to talk to that wasn’t her mum. As much as she loved her mum, Rose sometimes needed somebody that wouldn’t be hysterical, and actually understood about travelling with the Doctor. But Mickey was gone, and she wasn’t ever going to see him again. She sighed, closing the album and wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Rose heard the Doctor return through the front door, followed by some snippy comments by her mother. Clearly, this was going to take a while for Jackie to forgive. She didn’t blame her though; it was a lot to take in, and Rose knew it was going to be very difficult to give up her child once it was born. Still, it was for the best.

She stood up, grabbed her bag and wandered out into the hallway, greeted by a wary looking Doctor. He was still keeping an eye on Jackie in case she decided to really give him a hiding when he wasn’t expecting it. Rose grinned at his apprehension; he could face thousands of Daleks and Cybermen, and risk his life to save a few humans, but was still afraid of her mother.

The Doctor smiled on her entrance, his eyes shining tenderly as they met hers across the room. She felt her stomach rumble with butterflies at his affection, somewhat nervous at their time ahead spent more or less alone in the Tardis. It would just be the two of them for the next few weeks as Rose adjusted to her pregnancy, as the Doctor had said he wanted to monitor her condition.

That meant not too much excitement or travel; just her and the Doctor living together. She felt excited anticipation at what that might mean. What might happen, based on what had already happened. Could it be, finally, that the Doctor would show her how he really felt? She didn’t know, but this was going to be the best opportunity to find out.

Jackie re-entered the room, glaring at the Doctor before smiling somewhat sadly at Rose. She took her daughter’s hand, pulling her into the kitchen, where the Doctor could not hear them. She gave Rose a long stare, and then sighed.

“Sweetheart, I want you to be careful. Look after yourself,” she said. “It’s not just your own life you’ll be risking now. You’ve got another to think about.”

Rose frowned and sighed back.

“Mum, I know that, I’ll be alright,” she replied. “The Doctor will make sure we’re safe. I know you don’t trust him to look after me, but I do.”

“I know you do. And I also know how you feel about him, which is what worries me,” Jackie explained.

Rose shrugged flippantly, shoving her hands in her pockets.

“He’s my best friend, that’s all,” she lied. “We care about each other.”

“Come on, Rose. Do you think I can’t see when my own daughter’s in love?” she asked. “I’ve seen the way you are with him. How happy he makes you, even when you’re out there in all sorts of trouble.”

Rose opened her mouth to protest, but Jackie continued.

“If I know anything, it’s men. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Those big, puppy dog eyes staring at you, infatuated,” she said. “Maybe you don’t see it but I do. He certainly doesn’t regard you as just a friend.”

Rose didn’t know what to say. She knew there was something there between herself and the Doctor, but she didn’t realise other people thought so too, she just thought most of it was in her head. But her Mum obviously saw something, and even before all of the things that had happened recently, with them sleeping together and the baby.

Jackie took her daughter’s face between her hands, staring into her eyes sincerely.

“All I’m sayin’, is just be sure. Make sure he can give you everything you need,” she explained. “I won’t be there the whole time for this pregnancy, so he’s gonna have to. He’ll have to keep you and the baby safe, and only think about you two, not himself. If you have to, make him do it.”

Rose nodded and hugged her mother. She knew she meant well, but Jackie didn’t give the Doctor enough credit. He would be there for her, for everything she needed. She pulled away from the embrace and squeezed her Mum’s hand.

“I’ll be okay,” she reassured her.

Jackie looked at her warily, watching as her daughter turned and walked away through the front door with that man once again, out of her life into who knew what. Jackie knew one thing for sure, Rose had no idea what was to come with this pregnancy. And she was right, in more ways than she knew.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tension builds on the Tardis.

Although Rose felt the relationship between herself and the Doctor was now getting more complicated, the Doctor himself believed almost the opposite. The few small incidents that had happened in recent days had put things in perspective for him. After his shower incident, he’d actually felt a lot better. He didn’t feel as worried about Rose’s pregnancy, and definitely didn’t feel as anxious about his feelings for her. At least now he knew how he felt, to some degree. He wanted her physically, that was a definite, and he was comfortable with that.

After all, he was nine hundred years old in a youthful body, so it was not unexpected that he would feel attracted to a beautiful young woman like Rose. And it had been such a long time since he had felt this way; it was a novel experience again. The Doctor enjoyed new experiences, so this didn’t seem that bad after all.

Maybe what Rose had suggested earlier wasn’t such a terrible idea – for the two of them to have a physical relationship. Sex did alleviate stress, and that would be a good thing considering how much danger they always got themselves into. Rose was the person he cared the most about and they were already best friends, so if it was to be anyone it definitely should be her.

What did they call that on Earth again? Friends with benefits. That was right. Or another more crass term, that the Doctor preferred not to use. Anyway, it was an option, he supposed. Not right now, of course, while Rose was pregnant. She had other things to worry about. But maybe later down the track he would bring the subject up again with her.

For now, he would have to be content in the knowledge that he was attracted to her and that it was okay for him to be. And he would have to find other outlets for his frustrations right now. Not that Rose was making it easy for him.

As soon as they had gotten back to the Tardis, she’d announced she felt flustered and proceeded to strip off her hoodie and dash to her room to change her shirt. She strode out wearing a figure-hugging, low-cut singlet that the Doctor couldn’t help but to trace the shapes of with his wandering eyes.

Rose pressed her lips together and grinned smugly as she caught his gaze lingering in the soft shadows of her cleavage, prompting his eyebrows to arch in embarrassment and avert his eyes away. He frowned to himself as a quiet, amused sound escaped Rose’s mouth, and he knew she’d cottoned on to his not-so-subtle perusing of her upper body.

But she gave no more indication of her knowledge, and simply began twittering on about things she would need to buy for the pregnancy, draping herself over the console next to the Doctor. He only half-listened to what she was saying, as his eyes kept getting drawn back to the gentle, round shapes pushed against the blue material of Rose’s top.

As she moved her arm in expression, the shiny, pale pink satin of her bra cup would peek over the ridge of her singlet now and again, and the Doctor’s couldn’t take his eyes off it as it did so. His thoughts rushed back to the lingerie she wore for him the night they spent together; that lacy black number that hugged her curves beautifully. He swallowed, trying to force those thoughts from his head again. It wasn’t working.

“Oi, face up here,” Rose scolded, pointing upwards.

The Doctor’s eyes jumped to hers again and he shook his head, pushing himself away from the console.

“I wasn’t– I wasn’t looking at– I was just thinking,” he stumbled. “I wasn’t staring at your…”

“They’re called boobs Doctor, and yeah you were,” she grinned, teasing him. “I’ve been around long enough to know when a bloke is ogling my chest. And it’s okay, you know, that’s what men do.”

The Doctor frowned, standing back and raking his hand through his hair. He still shook his head indignantly.

“Well, I’m not ‘men’. I’m not even human. I’m a Time Lord, and we don’t ‘ogle’,” he insisted, his voice raising to a higher pitch in irritation. “I was simply assessing your pregnancy progression through ocular observation of fundamental physical indicators.”

Rose burst out laughing, falling against the console again. The Doctor stood his ground, slightly miffed, as her giggles echoed through the control room. She wiped at the bottom of her eyes with her fingers as her laughter softened, dabbing at the tears that had accompanied her outburst.

“That’s a good one, I haven’t heard that one before,” she sighed, still laughing a little. “Seriously, say it again.”

He began pouting, and Rose burst out laughing at him again. She rolled her eyes, grinning, and marched over to him, pinning him against a railing. She leaned up, pushing her chest toward him, winking.

“S’pose I’ve got to be useful for something round here now that I can’t do some of the other stuff, what with me being pregnant,” she said coyly. “I don’t really mind being the piece of arse.”

The Doctor widened his eyes, holding her by the arms to push her back and extricate himself from her seductive restraint.

“Rose Tyler! Clean up that mouth of yours! There are plenty of other things for you to do aboard this ship than be… a piece of arse!” he exclaimed, horrified by her bluntness. “You can help with minor repairs and organise my reference maps for a start.”

Rose rolled her eyes and then grinned again at him, poking the tip of her tongue out between her teeth to the left. She moved forward again to press him against the railing, her hip pinned against his.

“Can’t I do both?” she grinned, winking at him.

The Doctor mirrored her physical audacity, grabbing her wrists and spinning her around so she was the one pushed against the railing. He revelled in the surprise on her face and smiled back, leaning his face closer to hers.

“Not while you’re pregnant you can’t,” he said slowly.

He let this sink in for a few moments, allowing Rose to comprehend the suggestive undertones that laced his words. She stared at him, the smile fading from her face, and he delighted in the way her eyes widened a little. He let the tension hang for a few moments more, then pulled back abruptly, letting go of her wrists and turning back to the console.

Though he could only see her out of the corner of his eye, the Doctor knew Rose was standing there dumbfounded by his actions. He began fiddling about with the controls again, outwardly casual, but inside his hearts were racing and mind jumbled. Concealing his attraction to Rose was going to be tricky if she was going to act like this all the time.

He’d already kissed her twice before, and if she was going to actively try to seduce him, he didn’t know what would happen. It was going to require much concentration and discipline on his part, and unfortunately some rejection for Rose. He didn’t want to hurt her, but now was not the best time to be adding a new dimension to their relationship.

Rose seemed to recover quickly and looked at him sideways, intrigued by his new behaviour, but said nothing. She smiled a little, and then flounced out of the control room, back to her quarters. The Doctor let out a long sigh of relief, the tension eased now that she was no longer in the room with him. He shook his head and hoped there would not be a repeat of the situation any time soon, otherwise things would really start to get complicated.

~*~

Later that day, the Doctor returned to the control room to find Rose staring vaguely off into space, propped up on the flight seat. She didn’t register his presence as he entered the room, and he approached her, curious.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, approaching her.

It took her a moment to snap out of it and look up at him, but even then she still looked bewildered. He furrowed his brow in concern, sitting down on the bench next to her.

“Hmmm?” she mumbled absently.

The Doctor smiled a little, peering around to look into her face.

“I asked if you were okay,” he chuckled. “Did you just wake up or something?”

Rose stared at him for a moment more, and then shook herself, sitting back on the flight seat, resting her feet on the control column.

“No, I wasn’t asleep,” she explained. “I was just…thinking.”

Satisfied that she was alright, the Doctor stood up again and began fiddling with the Tardis controls. He glanced over to her, noticing that she stayed where she was and didn’t continue on with her explanation. Now he was curious about what was up with her.

“Must’ve been something pretty heady you were thinking about,” he said. “You definitely weren’t here, that’s for sure.”

The Doctor noticed Rose’s cheeks had flushed pink, and she wouldn’t make eye contact with him. She became fascinated with the stitching on her sneaker, running her finger along the seam and picking at it with her nails.

“Oh. Not really. Just about the Tardis,” she replied, trying to sound indifferent.

She didn’t continue and the Doctor frowned, noting her unusual demeanour. She wasn’t normally so vague when answering his questions. He wondered if it was anything to do with the kisses they had shared and the seduction attempt earlier. Maybe she felt uncomfortable talking to him now.

“What about the Tardis?” he persisted.

Rose stood up now, balling her hands in the sleeves of her hoodie. She paced across the control room floor a couple of times before coming to lean on the control column near the Doctor. She finally looked up at him, biting her lip with that adorably innocent look in her eyes.

“Well, it’s alive, right?” she asked, and the Doctor nodded. “Well, how alive is it? Is it like a plant that you just have to take care of, or does it feel things and express itself like you and me?”

The Doctor looked at her, surprised, wondering where this had come from. Did she know about what had happened with him in the shower? Had she worked out it had been him affecting the Tardis? And exactly how he had been affecting it? He couldn’t tell from her expression, and didn’t want to ask outright.

“Well, she’s not really like a person, she doesn’t talk or have complex thought,” he explained. “But she’s more than just existing; she has instinct and can feel basic emotion and pain. Why do you ask…?”

She shrugged, leaning forward a little and tipping her head up, her eyes fiery but unreadable. He watched as her fingers traced parts of the console, firmly yet delicately, before she pressed her hand flat against one of the metal surfaces.

“Well, you’ve said before that it gets in my head to translate alien languages, I just thought it might be able to know what I’m thinking, feeling,” she said, her voice low.

The Doctor felt his stomach tighten at her words and tone, and deep down he was sure that she knew what had happened. His mind raced at what she must think of him doing that; was she disgusted, confused, amused, curious, turned on? Her expression gave away nothing, blank except for her burning eyes, still fixed on him. So, he decided to push a little.

“No, no, nothing like that. Well. Not unless you wanted her to. You’d have to actively open your mind to her. And have physical contact,” he murmured. “And it would have to be something pretty powerful to get the Tardis’s attention.”

He watched as her eyes ran slowly up and down his form, lingering over the round protrusion of his bum before meeting his gaze again. The Doctor swallowed, feeling a little giddy from the boldness of Rose’s actions. But it also drove him wild, because it wasn’t quite enough. She was playing with him, flirting openly but not stepping over the line, just being suggestive. Always suggestive.

“Yeah? Like what?” she asked.

She dipped her head a little to look up at him through her lashes, and the Doctor’s hearts jumped into his throat. She was close to him now, leaning forward with those big eyes, her hand still pressed against the cold metal of the console. But now her fingertips kneaded the surface, so slight it was barely noticeable, but the rhythm mesmerised him.

“Some basic, raw human emotion,” he breathed. “Grief. Love. Anger.”

The Doctor felt himself tilt forward, unconsciously bringing his face even closer to Rose’s. His eyes examined her lips, open slightly, before sweeping up to meet her gaze. He was sure his own eyes reflected the intensity seen in hers, and he nearly lost his breath as she spoke the word that was burning in his own head.

“Lust.”

For a moment, time seemed to stand still, the air in the room thick with tension and emotion. The Doctor could feel his head swimming, and an overwhelming urge to push Rose down on the console and press his lips to hers. He was resisting, barely, two words repeating over and over in his head as a mantra; _not again not again not again_.

But it was Rose that broke the spell, pulling away and sitting back down on the flight seat once more. Her eyes still studied his shape, but now they were more distant, thinking again. The Doctor swallowed, turning to face her, leaning against the console, and folded his arms across his chest. He watched her silently, not trusting himself to open his mouth for fear of what he might confess to her right now.

Her eyes focused on his again and she tilted her head to one side before speaking.

“So, if it was something like that, would the Tardis reply? Like, could it speak back to you or anything?” she asked.

He shook his head, letting out a slow breath.

“Not really. You would get some kind of reaction, and might get a feeling back of her opinion,” he explained. “But not speech or words.”

Rose nodded slowly and then stood up again abruptly. She stared at him a moment and then grinned; the Doctor wasn’t sure what at though.

“Okay,” she breezed. “Well, I’m off to have a shower.”

She shot him a smouldering look backwards as she sauntered out of the room, leaving him standing tensely in the control room, images of her showering flooding his head.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Building pressure has to break at some point.

The next few days carried on much the same as the first, only with slightly less intensity. Rose continued to give the Doctor flirtatious comments and looks, and press herself closer than necessary to him on every possible occasion. Well, at least that was how the Doctor interpreted it. In his mind, she was teasing him – wearing clothing she knew would drive him wild, and shaping her mouth in ways that made him think inappropriate thoughts. It was all her doing, he told himself.

Rose herself believed she was just responding to the attention he gave her. She saw the way his gaze would linger on the curves of her body when he thought she couldn’t see, and the way his voice would become deeper and warmer when she stood in close proximity to him. She saw the longing behind those eyes and she wished he would just spit it out how much he wanted her. And loved her.

Well, that last part was hoping for a bit much. She didn’t even know if he did love her that way. Rose would often get glimpses of that possibility in the way he would wrap his arms around her, or in his tiny smile and soft eyes when she’d told him she wouldn’t mind being stuck with him forever. But even then he’d expressed a loathing of settling down anywhere, so she had no idea what that meant in terms of love and commitment for him.

She’d never understood his reasons for not getting too attached to companions, even though he had explained the heartbreak to her. It just didn’t make much sense, but then again, she’d never lived his lifetimes or gone through everything he had. She figured it must change his perspective on love and relationships. Still, maybe having this baby would change things again, and she could grow closer to him.

In the mean time, she was determined to keep responding to the Doctor’s more obvious interest in her physical body. She had no idea where it had come from, but she was enjoying it, and was seeing how much she could push him before he’d slip up and expose his attraction to her. In any case, it seemed to be fuelling his episodes of personal release; there had been a few more cases of the shudders and sparks from the Tardis in the last few days.

Rose stretched herself out on the sofa, pushing her legs out onto the Doctor’s lap, who was sitting at the other end reading a book while she watched TV. He glanced up at her, feigning a dirty look, as she wiggled her toes underneath his heavy book, causing it to bounce around on his knees.

She grinned, enjoying the warmth of his legs under her feet, and he shook his head at her, smiling also. She set her eyes back to the TV, but jumped a little when she felt one of his hands wander over onto her sock-clad foot. He didn’t look up, but began massaging her foot with his hand, pressing in the arch of her foot with his fingers.

Rose sighed at the sensation, her eyelids beginning to sag in contentment. His fingers worked their way around her heel, pushing their way up to her ankle and then running back down over the top of her foot.

“Mmmm, s’good…” she murmured, slumping down from her propped up position on the sofa.

She shifted her shoulders so she could lie more flat, supporting her head on the arm of the sofa, tilted slightly so she could have a better view of the Doctor. He was still looking down at his book, but the slight twitches of expression on his face and the distant look in his eye told her he wasn’t really reading it anymore.

The Doctor’s other hand now drifted over to join the other, kneading the ball of her foot with his thumbs. His fingers explored the shapes of her foot, before running further down to the underside of her toes, making Rose jump a little. His eyes darted up to hers at this, making her swallow hard as she saw the intense thoughts that were dancing behind those dark, brown pools.

Rose knew what he was thinking. He was remembering. About his mouth and tongue on those feet of hers, driving her crazy. The sucking and licking of her toes, making her cry out, making her burn for him, and him for her. And it was there now, she saw it in his gaze again – the longing.

She was slightly surprised when she felt his fingers wander up to the top of her sock, and creep underneath the elastic trim. His eyes never left hers as he slowly peeled her sock off her left foot, followed a moment later by the right. Rose heard her blood in her ears as his hands returned to her feet, kneading and caressing over each curve and bump.

She realised it wasn’t just her that was feeling the intensity of this interaction, as she noticed his hands trembling a little as they touched her. His book had slid off to one side, discarded, as his hands continued working over her skin, slow and tenderly. His fingers once again returned to the crooks of her toes, and Rose squirmed, unable to contain the soft moan from her throat or the way her eyes rolled back in response.

She was rewarded with a sigh from the Doctor, and her heart began to race as she felt a stirring in his lap under her feet. Her heavy gaze fixed on his, which was now deep and intense, obviously searching for some kind of approval that she was comfortable with this. Comfortable may have not been exactly the right word for what Rose felt now, but she wasn’t about to stop it.

So still the Doctor continued on, his hands kneading, pressing, exploring over her feet and her toes, moving more delicately on the sensitive underside of her toes and the arches of her feet. His hands were warm and soothing, and Rose could feel her temperature rising as he touched her in this intimate way.

His breathing was also noticeably faster and his eyes now fixed on her feet, fascinated with the soft, pale skin that he handled. The Doctor’s brow became furrowed, not in apprehension, but in concentration, as his gaze raked over the shapes of her toes and the small spots of polished colour that decorated them.

The pink hue amused him; for all her outward bravery and resilience, there were still parts of herself she liked to keep girly. Not girly. Feminine. She was no longer a girl to him. She was so different now, from the day he had met her. From all they had been through in danger and adventure, and also from what he had shared with her, in her bedroom.

She could see that now, in his eyes. The way he saw her, looked at her – it was different than before. The hands on her feet weren’t just friendly, affectionate attention, like they may have been in the past. They were sensual, inquisitive and tender, and Rose felt her breath hitching in her chest as he continued his motions on her skin.

She reigned back some control by moving her foot actively against his hand, responding to his touch. Rose smiled to herself as his eyebrows arched up a little at this, and she bit her lip, her eyes fixed on him again. He was still staring down at her feet, apparently mesmerised, his eyelids heavy. She swallowed and moved her other foot slowly down, pressing into his lap, nudging her toes against his thigh.

The Doctor let out a small noise at this, and his eyes darted up to hers. She didn’t waver, and instead slid her foot to push right up between his legs, against the warmth gathering there. Rose watched as his mouth opened a little, his eyes wider now, and she gently moved her foot to rub against him.

At this point, the Doctor’s hands jumped over to still that foot, his eyes fiery and his breath coming in heavy.

“Rose,” he whispered, his tone warning.

She just stared at him, the slight smile still on her lips.

“What…?” she asked softly. “I know you have a foot fetish…”

He didn’t move, either to stop her or let her continue. He just stared, his expression conflicted on what to do next. Rose didn’t speak either, just waited for him to make a decision.

She could feel him firm under her foot, and felt herself struggling to keep composed under the pressure of all that was happening. This time, she was turning him on when he was completely himself; no drug-induced haze. This time, it was for real. It terrified her.

“I…” the Doctor began.

But no more words came. He just frowned in exasperation at her and sighed shakily, taking his glasses off. Rose saw the reservation in his eyes and knew she had to pip him to the post.

“I know what you’re gonna say, so don’t. I don’t wanna hear it,” she said softly, no anger evident in her voice. “Because it’s not the same as before. When I said I’d changed, it wasn’t just me. _We’ve_ changed. The way we are together.”

She paused a moment, half-expecting him to interrupt her. He didn’t.

“Don’t you see it? Feel it? All the time now, there’s just something there. And I’m not gonna go on pretending like there isn’t. Not anymore. So I’m just going to say it,” she said firmly. “I want you. And you want me.”

The Doctor didn’t protest. Didn’t tell her all the ways she was wrong. He just looked downward at his hands on her feet, sighing. And that said more to Rose than words ever could. So it was now or never.

She removed her feet from his lap and sat up, moving swiftly right up next to him. She clenched her jaw to stop herself from shaking, as she placed her hand on his thigh where her feet had been. Rose ran it up to the top of his leg, splaying out her fingers to cover the width of his thigh, brushing his groin with her hand.

With her other hand she pushed him back by his shoulder, pressing him against the arm of the sofa and turning his body a little. The Doctor was now half-laying with Rose one side of him, and she manoeuvred her body to partially arch over him, essentially pinning him down.

Any moment she expected him to push her off, stop her, but for now he didn’t. His eyes remained fixed on hers, full of desire and frustration. He _did_ want her, she could see it right there. And feel it in his trousers, next to her hand. She didn’t understand why he didn’t just show her outright. No matter, she would show him instead.

Rose captured his lips with hers, pressing him into a passionate kiss, which he submitted to. The Doctor opened his mouth, allowing her tongue access, and she sighed at the sensation of tasting him again. All she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears as she kissed him, but could feel absolutely everything.

The way his chest heaved rapidly under her body as she kissed him. The soft cotton of his trousers under her hand, and the firm swelling adjacent that twitched in response to her attentions. The way her skin hummed from the exhilaration, and her body trembled in nervousness at what she was doing.

Rose could tell the Doctor was holding back; his tongue was responsive to hers but not in the way his eyes had conveyed. She wondered if he feared he would lose control and take this much further. She wanted him to. So she took things further herself. Her hand on his thigh dipped inwards, pressing against the stiff mound gathered in his trousers, and began a slow, deliberate rubbing.

The Doctor fumbled out a garbled moan, breaking their kiss and throwing his head back. His eyes were squeezed shut, his expression a contortion of suffering and pleasure. His body twitched and bucked at the stimulation, and Rose felt herself growing warm at the sight of him in such ecstasy. She wanted more of him. All of him.

She leaned up, sealing his mouth with hers again, and this time he surged against her, his kiss hungry and desperate. He was so forceful, it took Rose by surprise, and she struggled to keep up with the frantic movements of his tongue in her mouth. The Doctor’s hands grabbed the back of her head, messing in her hair and holding her firmly as he kissed her. She felt a little overwhelmed by the power and vigour of his movements, and it occurred to her that maybe she was getting herself in over her head.

Jack had been the one to experience the intensity of the Doctor in pure desire; she had not. He had been gentle and tender with her during their night together, but this context was completely different. She had wound him up to breaking point, and she was now bearing the brunt of his unadulterated desire.

His hips bucked upwards toward her hand as she touched him, and heavy groans punctuated his breathing as his mouth trapped hers with deep, penetrating kisses. Rose felt herself growing slightly light-headed at his fervour, barely able to get enough time to breathe between the momentary separations of their lips.

The Doctor leaned forward abruptly, sitting up to bring his body closer to hers. His hands began to claw at her hoodie, yanking it off her shoulders and quickly peeling it down to expose her bare arms. He then broke his lips away from hers to replace them at her neck, nibbling and sucking at the tender skin, causing Rose to take in a sharp breath.

Her hand still touched him, albeit more tentatively now, herself caught up in the frenzied display of his desire. His hands rushed back up to her shoulders, grasping at her soft skin and pushed the straps of her tank top and bra aside roughly to bare her shoulders. His lips followed his hands, trailing down her neck to her collarbone and the smooth muscle of her shoulder. As his teeth sank in, Rose cried out, causing him to stop abruptly and stare at her, reeling.

The yearning in his eyes quickly drained away when he realised that Rose was trembling. Her breaths came in short gasps, her eyes wide and shining. His expression turned to one of concern and shame, and he quickly pushed her shirt back onto her shoulders, taking her in an embrace,

“Oh my god Rose, I’m sorry,” he said, his voice cracking. “I’m so sorry.”

Rose gave a half-hearted, nervous laugh and licked her lips.

“Guess I get what I ask for,” she murmured, still shell-shocked.

The Doctor leaned back, taking her face in his hands and staring into her eyes. He smiled sadly at her.

“You were right, I do want you,” he explained. “But what just happened is exactly what I didn’t want.”

Rose stayed silent, allowing him to open up to her.

“I want you too much, and I’m afraid of what I’ll do to you,” he said softly. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you. And I don’t want to do that. Not now. Not when you’re pregnant.”

The Doctor leant his head in and gave her a slow, gentle kiss on the lips. When they broke apart, Rose pressed her lips together, casting her eyes down and blushing. He had never been this tender with her before, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She looked back up at him, furrowing her brow a little.

“So what now then? I can’t go back to pretending I don’t wanna shag you,” she said, giving him a half-smile.

He grinned at her, his own cheeks now flushing a little.

“Well. You don’t have to. We just can’t… fulfil our physical desires right now,” the Doctor explained. “When our baby is born…well, we’ll work something out then.”

Rose beamed at his use of the word ‘our’, and grinned back at him, taking his hands in hers.

“Okay,” she said. “I can cope with that.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor go back to Torchwood to break the good news to Jack.

“So. Where to first then? To Mr. Jacky boy or back to Dr. Teng?” the Doctor asked.

He waltzed around the control column, one hand in his pocket and flicking levers with the other. Rose grinned at him excitedly, biting her lip.

“Can we? Go back and see Jack, I mean?” she asked. “It’s alright if we tell him everything?”

The Doctor gave her a sideways look, half-grinning.

“Well, not _everything_ , but about the baby, yes,” he said, giving her a wink. “As long as he keeps it to himself, I don’t see it being a problem.”

Rose grinned wider, running over to the Doctor, squeezing him in a hug.

“Thank you! Ah, this is gonna be great!” she beamed, still embracing him. “You’re the best!”

She broke the hug and smacked a brief kiss on his lips in gratitude, stunning him a little and causing his breath to hitch. Without even thinking, he took hold of her face in his hands and returned the kiss, only firmer and longer than she had given him. It was Rose that pushed him back, breaking the kiss and looking startled.

Her hand pressed against his chest to hold him at a distance, her eyes fluttering and she bit her lip, swallowing.

“I thought you said we weren’t going to be doing… _that_ ,” she said quietly, a smile twitching at her lips.

The Doctor cleared his throat, nodding and dropping his arms down to no longer hold her. His eyes avoided hers and he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

“Yes. Sorry. Right,” he said abruptly, turning back to the control column. “To Cardiff then.”

He began pulling levers and pushing buttons on the panel, and Rose shook her head, a little dumbfounded, before making her way over to the flight seat. She sat down on it and watched him as he worked, a small smile creeping on to her lips.

She wondered how well this was going to go; the two of them knowing they wanted each other but unable to do anything about it. She wasn’t really that strong willed, especially when it came to the Doctor. If he just kept trying to seduce her, she was going to let him, she knew it.

_‘What a shame,’_ she thought to herself, grinning.

The Doctor looked up from the console and spotted her smile, giving her an inquisitive look.

“What are you grinning at?” he asked, a smile on his own lips. “Do I have something hanging out my nose?”

Rose laughed, shaking her head.

“No, it’s okay, you look fine,” she said.

As the Doctor pressed the last button to bring them to their destination, he cocked his head to one side, still curious.

“So…?” he asked, gesturing for her to explain herself.

“So, what?” Rose replied, amused.

He frowned at her, though still smiling, and marched around to the flight seat. He gripped the top of the seat either side of her head, bending down to look her in the eye.

“What were you grinning at?” he repeated.

Rose just smiled at him, pleased that for once there was something he didn’t know, and wasn’t going to. She shook her head at him, shrugging flippantly.

“Nothin’ in particular,” she replied.

She arched an eyebrow at him and folded her arms across her chest, grinning. The Doctor narrowed his eyes in frustration, bringing his face closer to hers.

“Tell me,” he instructed her.

She stuck her tongue out between her teeth on the left-hand side, and pushed him back away from her with one hand, standing up.

“Nope,” she said.

The Doctor made an irritated sound, trailing after her as she made her way across the room toward the door. He grabbed her by the wrist as arrived at the exit, pulling her toward him.

“Please tell me,” he begged.

Rose could tell he was trying to be polite, but the tightness of his grip and the edge on his voice told her this was really irking him. She giggled, happy at tormenting him this way, and shook her head again.

“Nuh,” she taunted.

She prised herself from his grip and opened the Tardis door, greeted by the night scene of the plaza at Mermaid Quay, where they had parked several times before. She turned her head back to him, grinning, and stepped out onto the pavement.

“Rose…” the Doctor whined, looking at her with pleading eyes.

She laughed again at him, poking his stomach teasingly before bounding across the square, her hair blowing across her face in the chilly Cardiff wind. Rose wrapped her hoodie tighter around herself, and spun around to see the Doctor striding after her, an annoyed look on his face.

When she turned back, she saw the dark figure of Jack coming pelting across the plaza toward them. As he approached, she noticed the worried look on his face, and he grabbed the sides of her arms as he skidded to a halt.

“What is it? Is everything alright?!” he rattled off. “Are _you_ alright? What’s wrong?!”

Rose laughed, causing Jack’s concern to fade, and she hugged him in greeting.

“There’s nothing wrong, we’re both fine,” she explained. “Well…better than fine actually. That’s why we’re here. It’s about the baby.”

As they broke their embrace, Jack’s eyebrows shot up and a grin spread across his face. He grabbed Rose’s hands in excitement and gave her a long stare.

“You’re keeping it?” he asked eagerly.

Rose nodded and he swept her up in a hug again, squeezing her tight and lifting her off the ground. He laughed, spinning her around.

“Congratulations! That’s fantastic!” he beamed.

Jack dropped her back on the ground, letting her go and pressed a firm kiss against her lips. Rose giggled and the Doctor made an irritated noise.

“Hey…” he warned Jack.

Jack laughed, grinning at the Doctor madly.

“Oh right, sorry,” he apologised.

He gave the Doctor an equally affectionate kiss on the mouth, and then wrapped him in a hug too. The Doctor struggled a little as Jack did so, but a smile twitched on his lips.

“That’s quite enough of that, for both of us,” he said after Jack let him go. “Rose is expecting now, so you have to be gentle.”

Rose grinned at him in pride, happy at how protective he was of her now. Jack smiled, nodding his head, then sighed.

“Oh, I guess that means we can’t go out for a celebratory drink then?” he asked, a little disappointed.

“I’m sure they have pop or water at the bar,” Rose reminded him. “You two can have a lager and I’ll just stick to the soft stuff, yeah?”

Jack smiled in triumph and grabbed hold of her hand, dragging her across the square. Rose quickly seized the Doctor’s hand, and the three of them strode away from the quay toward the main road. As they approached a nearby garage, Jack fished in his pocket and pressed a buzzer to open the door.

“There are a couple of bars just round the corner, but the best one is further into town,” Jack explained. “We’ll take my car.”

As the door opened fully, a large, black Range Rover came into view and Jack jumped into the driver’s side.

“Shotgun!” Rose yelled, giggling.

The Doctor grinned, shaking his head, as she dashed around to the passenger side and clambered inside up front next to Jack. He slowly made his way to the same side and opened the door to the back seats, climbing inside. As he shut the door, he leaned forward and reached his arm around to poke Rose in the side from behind.

She squealed in protest, and wiggled in her seat in an attempt to twist around to get him back. But the Doctor flattened himself against the seat, squirming just out of reach, laughing. Rose grunted in annoyance and sat back in position, buckling up her seatbelt. Jack was looking at them in amusement, and shook his head as he started up the car.

“If you two lovers are quite done, we’ll get going,” he teased.

“We’re not…” the Doctor trailed off. “And anyway, she started it.”

Rose sniggered and Jack laughed as they pulled out of the garage and onto the road.

“Oh, that’s mature, Doctor,” he remarked. “What are you, like nine hundred years old?”

Rose twisted her head around to look at the Doctor, who was now sitting in the back seat with his lip out and arms folded across his chest.

“Uh oh, brought on the sulks again,” she grinned. “You know what that means.”

The Doctor stopped pouting and grinned cheekily back at her, winking.

“Maybe later,” he said in a low voice.

Jack rolled his eyes, smiling to himself as he watched the two of them flirt.

“I’d tell you to get a room, but you already did that,” he said wickedly.

The Doctor and Rose both fell silent at this, but as Jack flicked glances in both their directions, he could see small smiles playing on their lips that the other couldn’t see.

They finally arrived at their destination, and Jack pulled into a nearby carpark. Rose peered out the car window, her eyes roving over the neon lettering that illuminated the name of the place, and the large line of people that snaked out the door. That meant it was probably a Saturday night.

“Jack, this is a _club_ , not a bar,” she said in dismay. “And by the looks of it, we won’t be getting in any time soon.”

Jack climbed out of the car and circled around to the passenger side, opening her door. He looked her up and down and grinned.

“Take off your hoodie and unbutton your shirt a bit and you’re ready to go,” he said. “And don’t worry about entry; I’ve got it covered.”

Rose did as he had said, and then proceeded to take out her hair and add a little more makeup. She smeared on some red lippy and ruffled her hair before stepping out of the car and turning to Jack. He smiled at her again and winked.

“Gorgeous,” he praised. “Don’t you think, Doctor?”

The Doctor looked up at Rose, his eyes dancing, as he climbed out of the car and nodded to Jack.

“As always,” he murmured.

He took Rose’s hand as they wandered over to the club, and she squeezed it, grinning up at him. He smiled and squeezed back. Jack took her other hand and the three of them marched up to the bouncer at the door.

Jack took out his Torchwood identification, flashing it to the guard.

“Torchwood branch, special business,” he said. “And they’re with me.”

The bouncer nodded and let the three of them through, much to the protest of the large group of people waiting in line. Rose’s stomach fluttered in excitement at their special treatment, though both the Doctor and Jack didn’t seem fussed.

It was the first time for her that she had got in somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be that was just for fun. Usually it was some secure building or government conference, or something equally as boring. But this was an exclusive nightclub, and she was now in it with the Doctor and Jack.

Rose watched in amusement as the Doctor winced at the loud music that pounded forth as they entered the main area of the club. Sometimes she forgot what an old man he was. She grinned and pulled him through the crowd after Jack, toward an empty booth near one of the dance floors. Jack stood standing as Rose and the Doctor squeezed in past him to sit down.

“What do you want to drink?” he asked loudly, so they could hear him above the noise of the club.

“Orange pop,” Rose shouted back, and Jack nodded.

The Doctor shrugged as the two of them looked at him.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” he yelled to Jack.

Jack raised an eyebrow, grinning but shrugged and headed off to the bar.

Rose shifted over so she was sitting closer to the Doctor, watching him as he looked around the club. There were several bars around the outer, raised perimeters of the large, expansive room and then seating booths, like the one they were in, were scattered on the same level and also lower down. In the middle of the room, the floor was sunken to give way to large dance floor, with a few podiums and go-go cages.

She grinned as she watched the Doctor’s unamused expression as he watched the dancers writhe and grind on the floor and the podiums. He gave her a withering look and raised an eyebrow.

“This is what you do for fun?” he asked distastefully, motioning to the people on the dance floor.

Rose laughed, giving him a wry grin.

“Yeh, sometimes,” she said. “Though it usually involves more alcohol than what I’m drinkin’ tonight.”

The Doctor shook his head in confusion and shrugged.

“But that’s the problem; there’s no subtlety, no seduction,” he complained. “It’s just all sex.”

Rose shook her head. As expansive as the Doctor’s knowledge was, sometimes he just missed the small things.

“No, but that’s the point, this _is_ the seduction,” she explained to him. “It may look like people putting it all on display for anyone to have, but it’s just a game.”

The Doctor cocked his head at her and then motioned to a woman nearby dancing evocatively with two men.

“Well, what about that? She seems like she’ll go home any minute with either or both of those two twits,” he countered. “Not exactly an understated invitation.”

Rose gave him a half-smile and rolled her eyes.

“I would’ve thought you better than anyone would know its’ just an act. She’s playing a part; that’s not really her,” she continued. “Chances are she’ll either go home alone, or with her boyfriend – or girlfriend.”

He raised an eyebrow, then frowned. This didn’t make any sense to him, the way humans played these complex little games. He could swear that woman was encouraging those men to go to bed with her, the way she was dancing with them.

By this time, Jack had arrived back from the bar, balancing three drinks in his hands. Rose reached over and took her pop from him, and then he placed down the two Martini’s on the table. The Doctor took his drink and downed it. Jack and Rose stared at him.

“Oh. Sorry. Liquor doesn’t really affect me,” he explained loudly. “I’d have to have a hell of a lot to feel anything.”

Jack just grinned at him and began sipping his Martini, sliding in the booth next to Rose. She grinned in amusement, happy to be sandwiched between two handsome men in an exclusive club. She smirked to herself as she saw nearby women eye her up and down when the Doctor slipped his hand into hers on the table.

Jack noticed this too, and deliberately leaned in close to her, whispering in her ear to make the other women jealous.

“I think you’ll be making some enemies tonight,” he murmured.

Rose giggled and beamed as the women narrowed their eyes at her.

“Well, making other birds jealous is always fun,” she said. “But really, there’s someone else I’d like to be jealous.”

She gestured toward the Doctor with her head.

“He doesn’t understand the point of coming here to drink and dance,” she explained. “I tried to tell him it’s all part of the game, but he doesn’t get it.”

Jack took the last swig of his drink and then stood up abruptly. He held out his hand to Rose and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“Well, we’ll show him then, won’t we?” he said charmingly.

Rose grinned at him and took his hand, following Jack to the dance floor and leaving the Doctor perplexed in the booth.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to dance.

Jack and Rose squeezed themselves through the crowd, down some steps to the packed dance floor. They chose a spot where they knew the Doctor could still see them, and they could look up at him. Rose leaned in to speak loudly so Jack could hear.

“Had some practice at twenty-first century dancing then?” she asked, starting to sway her body to the music.

“Plenty,” he replied. “Watch out, someone might try to steal me off you during the night.”

She laughed and moved closer to Jack, shifting her hips back and forth to the base-laded song. It was something RnB in style, though she didn’t recognise it, unsurprisingly. She’d been away from home for a while now and lost touch with music that was popular. Still, it had a good beat, heavy and sexy, and Rose found it easy to dance to.

Jack matched her movements, pressing his body closer to hers and resting one hand on her hip. His eyes became fixed on hers as they danced, their motions becoming more and more intimate. Rose rolled her body side to side, and against Jack, and she unconsciously lifted a hand up to rest on the back of his neck, pulling him closer.

Her hips wound around and down to the music, Jack’s hand now slipping to take hold of her almost on her bum. She didn’t protest at all, just stared up into his eyes, her mouth open slightly so she could take quick sucks of breath. Rose could feel how warm his body felt against hers, and she knew her own temperature was rising, and not just because of the number of people in the room or the exertion.

Her heart pounded in her ears as he looked at her, with that fire in his eyes that told her he wanted her. This wasn’t exactly what she’d been planning, but she couldn’t stop, it thrilled her to be this way with Jack. His body moved so smoothly, so perfectly against her own, she was caught up in the rhythm.

Rose spun around to press herself back against him, her arm still arched up, holding loosely onto his neck. His hands snaked down, holding her firmly by her hips, guiding her as she ground her body seductively back and forth. She shivered as she felt Jack nestle his face against one side of her neck, his breath hot and rapid on her skin.

A knot began to twist in her stomach as she felt the hard press of Jack against her lower back, obviously enjoying their intimacy. He noticed her tense and backed off a little, but his lips were still at her ear.

“Not exactly what I had in mind, but I won’t complain,” he breathed, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Rose laughed nervously, turning back around to face Jack, her cheeks flushed.

“Sorry, getting a bit carried away there,” she murmured, smiling. “Needed to get out some of the tension.”

Jack nodded, grinning. He held her now by her arms, at more of a distance, as they continued to dance together.

“So you and the Doctor aren’t…?” Jack asked, and she shook her head. “Not anything?”

Rose shook her head again, rolling her eyes.

“I’m not surprised then, you must be going crazy,” he agreed. “If that were me, on the Tardis with such a sexy man, I don’t think I could control myself, I’d have to have him. Or find a good substitute in the mean time.”

He shot her a fiery look, his hand trailing down to take hold of hers, and he pulled her closer, holding their hands to his chest. She raised an eyebrow at him, smiling good-naturedly. Rose knew what that look meant and felt quite flattered he would offer to spend the night with her. It was tempting; after all she had been through with the Doctor, she felt like she wanted to just cut loose.

“Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think the Doctor would be too happy about it. He seems to think I’m totally helpless at the moment,” she explained. “Speaking of which…”

Rose suddenly realised she had not been watching the Doctor; the main reason for coming down onto the dance floor. When she looked up to the booth they had been sitting in, she found it was empty and looked at Jack quizzically. He shrugged and scanned the room to see if he could spot the Doctor anywhere.

Just as Rose turned to look too, she saw him shoving through the crowd toward them, his expression furious. As he approached them, his features turned stony and he narrowed his eyes at Jack, grabbing hold of Rose’s arm. He pulled her closer to him, away from Jack.

“I think you should come and sit down,” the Doctor said tightly.

Rose wriggled out of his grip, giving him a dirty look.

“No, I’m fine thanks,” she retorted.

She moved back to dance with Jack again, but the Doctor took hold of her arm more tightly this time.

“No, I really think you should come back,” he said through gritted teeth. “You shouldn’t be doing _that_ in your condition.”

Rose looked at him incredulously, and Jack also raised an eyebrow at him.

“You’re not my dad!” Rose exclaimed, snatching her arm back again, attracting the attention of nearby dancers. “And even if you were I’d tell him to rack off. I’m perfectly fine.”

The Doctor frowned, ushering her to one side, up and out of the dance floor area, with Jack in tow. As they reached some of the seating booths, Jack reached over, putting his hand on the Doctor’s shoulder.

“Really, Doctor, she’s fine, I was taking care of her,” he said.

The Doctor shot him an irritated glare and shrugged his hand off angrily.

“Yeah, I could see that,” he snapped.

Rose shook her head at him, rolling her eyes. The Doctor steered her over to a more quiet corner, Jack staying back, apprehensive of what might happen if he tried to intervene again.

“What is your problem?” she demanded to know. “I’ve only just fell pregnant, a little bit of dancing isn’t going to hurt me, ya know!”

“You don’t know that and neither do I,” the Doctor replied irritably. “And how you call that dancing I have no idea!”

Rose snorted a laugh, folding her arms across her chest.

“See!” she cried. “This isn’t even about the safety of the baby.”

“This is about me trying to get you to take this seriously,” he said.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” she scoffed. “This is about you bein’ jealous!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m not jealous!” he exclaimed, his pitch increasing.

“You didn’t like the way I was dancing with Jack because you wanted it to be you instead,” Rose stated, smirking at him. “Which is exactly why I was doing it in the first place. I was playing the game.”

The Doctor glared, sighing in irritation, but didn’t argue further with her. It was then Rose knew she was right about it, and softened her stance, moving closer to him.

“It’s you I want to dance with, Doctor,” she said, her voice warm.

She looked up into his eyes, and watched the annoyance drain from them as she smiled slyly at him. Her fingers played on his chest, wrapping around his tie to pull him closer. She saw him swallow visibly, his eyebrows arching up a little.

“Come on,” Rose murmured. “Come dance with me.”

The Doctor’s mouth fell open a little, and his astonished gaze drifted over her face, studying the shapes of her lips and boring into her fiery hazel eyes. He jumped as she took his hand and she led him, rather dumbfounded, back down to the dance floor, Jack following close behind.

As the three of them squeezed back through the crowd, Rose turned her head back at the Doctor, grinning wickedly at him. She threw her head to one side, tossing her hair, and then pulled him in closer to begin swaying to the music. She took the hand she had been holding and guided it down to her hip, so he could hold onto her and feel the way she moved as she danced.

He still stood there shocked, not really doing much, as she moved up against him, so she grabbed his other hand and planted it around on the small of her back. She could feel the Doctor fidgeting, not sure exactly what to do, and she wrapped a hand around his neck, bringing his head down closer to hers.

“Just feel the beat,” she whispered in his ear. “And move with me.”

He slowly began to sway to the music, his eyes fixed on Rose, and she smiled, glad that he was beginning to get into it. Her eyes flicked a glance over his shoulder, and then she looked back at him, grinning.

“Gettin’ there,” she murmured. “But I think Jack can help too.”

He jumped a little as he felt Jack move up behind him, holding him by the waist and beginning to wind to the music. The Doctor’s eyes widened a little, and Rose laughed at his dazed expression. Jack winked at her from behind the Doctor and pressed himself nearer, closing in the space between the three of them so they were moving as one.

She felt the Doctor’s chest rise and fall more quickly as she danced against him, mirrored by Jack behind him. She could see the heat beginning to burn behind the Doctor’s eyes, and his body swayed in time with them, giving in to their rhythm. Again, Rose could feel her temperature rising, only this time her heart fluttered in her chest in excitement too.

“It’s more fun with three, don’t you think?” she heard Jack say into the Doctor’s ear.

The Doctor turned his head a little, his eyes wide, but Rose reached up to guide his gaze back to hers. She looked over at Jack, grinning.

“Don’t know if I can share,” she said to him so the Doctor could hear.

Jack laughed and snaked a hand off the Doctor’s waist and forward onto Rose’s, bringing them in even tighter. Rose herself felt her breath hitch as he did this, her body much closer to the Doctor’s than it had been in a while.

She smiled to herself, winding her hips slowly and firmly so the Doctor could feel it with both his hands and his body. As she stared up into his eyes, she noticed his gaze had that wired look, like he might snap any second. She knew she was teasing him horribly with all this, but she figured he deserved it, since he’d decided they shouldn’t act on their desires.

Rose leaned up, holding onto his tie, and whispered in his ear.

“I’m going to get us some more drinks,” she murmured. “Have fun with Jack while I’m gone.”

And with that, she pulled away from him and pushed through the crowd, leaving him looking longingly at her, Jack still holding him as they danced.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose returns to find the Doctor having more fun than she expected.

Quite a wait later, Rose began making her way back to the dance floor from the bar, with spirit mixers for the boys and more pop for herself. She cringed as she was bumped several times as she pushed through the crowd, though managed to keep hold of the three glasses without too much spilling over the edges. As she approached the floor where she had left the Doctor and Jack, the sight that greeted her nearly made her drop the drinks altogether.

She had wondered if Jack and the Doctor would still be dancing together, and as she stared, there was definitely no question about that. The Doctor was dancing about crazily, arms flung around Jack, holding him close and a glass of something that resembled Coke in one hand. Jack was obviously enjoying the attention, his own arm wrapped around the Doctor’s waist, holding him steady as they sang loudly and writhed to the music.

When the Doctor spotted Rose, his face lit up and he waved her over, spilling half his drink on a nearby dancer in the process. They gave him a dirty look and moved further away, giving Rose a chance to shove through and move back next to the Doctor and Jack. She looked at Jack questioningly, her eyebrows raised, motioning with her head toward the Doctor.

“A couple of guys challenged him to a drinking contest while you were gone,” Jack explained. “He won. He drank more than both of them combined.”

She shook her head, grinning and then giggling as the Doctor let go of Jack with one arm and proceeded to wrap it around Rose, holding the two of them close to him. She looked down at the drinks she had bought and then back up at Jack, shrugging.

“Guess you won’t need these then,” she said.

Before she could hand them off to someone else, the Doctor grabbed both of the spirit mixers off her and downed them, one after the other. She stared at him in disbelief, and he grinned back at her sloppily, pulling her closer and planting a big, wet kiss on her cheek. Rose made a face at him, wiping her soggy cheek.

“How much did he have to drink??” Rose asked Jack.

“I don’t know exactly,” he admitted. “I lost count after he reached ten shots.”

Her eyes widened and she looked up at the Doctor, who was still singing along loudly and dancing to whatever was playing, even though he clearly didn’t know the words. She felt the way he swayed back and forth, obviously affected by the alcohol, and causing herself and Jack to lean sideways along with him.

Rose steadied herself, and the Doctor, holding him firmly around the waist and pulling him up so he wasn’t falling over onto other people. He grinned at her again, his eyelids heavy, and she could smell the alcohol on him as he leaned his head close to her.

“Always looking after me,” he slurred happily, and Rose smiled in amusement at him.

“Cos you need it, you big lump,” she replied.

The Doctor nodded his head vigorously, letting go of Jack, who was now seemingly more interested in a handsome bloke nearby. The Doctor snaked his other arm around Rose, pulling her close to him.

“Yes, yes, always needed looking after. Always alone, always alone,” he mumbled. “Just me, in time, in space, no-one else.”

He looked at her sadly for a moment and then broke into a broad grin again, poking her in the chest.

“But you! You came with me. You changed everything!” he exclaimed. “Cos you’re different. Different than all the others. Not the same at all. How did you do that?”

Rose laughed, shrugging at him. She was about to answer, but the Doctor interrupted, continuing his spiel.

“You look after me, that’s what you do. And something else too, but I forget what it is,” he said slowly. “Oh that’s right! You’re mine. You’re all mine!”

He smiled triumphantly and Rose laughed again, shaking her head. She raised an eyebrow at him, pressing her tongue against her teeth.

“I’m all yours huh?” she asked, amused.

The Doctor nodded, grabbing hold of her face between his hands and pulling it close to his.

“Yep, all mine and no-one else’s. Not Jack’s, not Mickey’s, not your dad’s and not even your mum’s. Just mine,” he rambled. “All for me.”

Rose grinned, flushing at his possessiveness of her, and prised his hands away from her face, taking them in her own. His eyes were soft and sincere, and he squeezed her hands as she took his.

“So I don’t get a say, mmm? I’m just yours and that’s it?” she asked teasingly. “What if I didn’t wanna be?”

The Doctor looked crestfallen, his brow furrowing sadly. He took hold of her by the shoulders and looked at her worriedly, his eyes searching.

“Why, don’t you want to be? Don’t you want to stay with me? I thought you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me?!” he asked anxiously. “You said you’ve never leave me. I thought we were…I know you never said, and I never said…but…you said you’d never leave!”

Rose smiled at him, getting so upset and worked up, and she wrapped her arms around him, taking him in a tight hug. She kissed the side of his face and then pulled back, staring into his eyes.

“Of course I’m gonna stay with you, don’t get yourself in a state,” she said. “Come on, let’s sit down. I think you’ve had enough dancing.”

The Doctor held onto her hand tightly as they began to push through the crowd, leaving Jack to his seduction of the unknown young man on the dance floor. Rose squeezed past a large group of women, some she recognised as giving her dirty looks before, and spotted a free booth over in one of the dark corners. She signalled it to the Doctor and the two of them made their way over.

They slid into the booth, and the Doctor wedged himself right up next to Rose, flinging an arm around her shoulders and smiling sloppily. She grinned back, resting her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his other arm around her front to envelope her. She let out a long, comfortable sigh and shut her eyes for a minute, just enjoying the feel of him so close to her.

She felt him tilt his head and begin nuzzling in her ear, his breath warm and making her jump. Rose giggled, swatting him away, and he laughed, amused at his knowledge of her ticklish spots.

“Stop it!” she grinned.

His smile was sloppy again, his eyes full of affection.

“Would you though, really?” he asked.

“What?” she asked, confused.

The Doctor motioned with his hand in the air.

“You know, what we were talking about before,” he explained. “Stay with me.”

“Of course, I’ve told you before, I’m not gonna leave you,” she replied. “You know how I feel about travelling in the Tardis. And about you.”

Rose muttered the last part as an offhand comment, playing with a paper coaster on the table. She looked up to see the Doctor looking at her inquisitively, his eyes deep and full of wonder.

“How you do?” he asked.

“What?”

“Feel about me?”

“Oh,” Rose said. “I thought you’d already know.”

“Well, you’ve never said,” he explained slowly, thinking.

“You’ve never asked before.”

“That’s true, I haven’t. I probably should have. But we don’t usually talk about these things do we? All the things we’ve done and places we’ve been and we haven’t talked about it,” he rambled, scratching his head. “Hmmm. That’s a bit silly, isn’t it? We spend just about every day together doing something. You’d think it would’ve come up.”

“I don’t know, you just always seem to avoid it,” Rose sighed. “Not something you wanna deal with.”

The Doctor, still swaying a little from his inebriation, moved himself forward, studying her face. He reached his fingers up, running them over her cheek sloppily and then tugging on her hair gently.

“Would you tell me now?” he asked.

He looked at her expectantly and she shifted uncomfortably, staring down at the shredded bits of coaster in her hands. Rose could feel her face burning and she shrugged.

“I don’t know why you don’t already know,” she murmured. “I’d thought it was obvious.”

The Doctor stared at her, tipping his head to try to meet her gaze. She wouldn’t look up at him, and he grabbed at her hand with one of his own, his eyes warm and innocent.

“Do you love me?” he asked.

Rose didn’t answer him, just felt herself blushing, and tried to brush it off casually. She shrugged again and pulled her hands back, away from his.

“Ya know, just fancy ya cos you’re this all-knowing alien bloke,” she breezed. “Who wouldn’t? It doesn’t really mean anything.”

She felt her heart ache at this, knowing it was a complete lie, but didn’t want to tell him the truth. She saw him sag in disappointment, obviously hurt a little by this, and she bit her lip, watching him. He then frowned, shaking his head and pointing a finger at her.

“No, no, that’s not right, that’s not what you’re supposed to say,” the Doctor chattered. “Cos you love me and you’re supposed to tell me that. Why won’t you tell me that?”

Rose blinked at him, shaking her head, and shoving him.

“What is this? ‘Interrogate Rose For Fun’ night or something?” she countered. “I don’t have to tell you anything, thanks. You never tell me anything, so why should I?”

He gave her a perplexed look and then exhaled loudly, tipping his head.

“Because I’m the Doctor and you’re not supposed to know…things…about me,” he explained sloppily. “I’m supposed to be mysterious. A puzzle inside a mystery, wrapped in an enigma.”

He gave her another toothy grin and wrapped an arm around her waist. She rolled her eyes at him again but her hand wandered down to squeeze his on her waist.

“But sometimes, don’t you want someone to know you?” Rose asked. “I mean, otherwise you’re all on your own.”

The Doctor’s grin faded at this, and his eyes became glazed and faraway. His brow furrowed and Rose felt his body tense up against hers. He took a deep breath and sat back into the booth seat, his arm still draped around her waist.

“That’s just me,” he said finally, staring blankly ahead. “Always on my own, that’s the way its always been.”

Rose gave him a half-smile and leaned back against him, resting her head on his shoulder. She heard him murmur in contentment and wrapped his arm further around her, pulling her closer and resting his chin on her head.

“Well, maybe it’s time to change. You’re not on your own anymore, we’ve got our baby,” she reminded him. “You’ve got a family now.”

The Doctor lifted his chin and turned her head gently with his hand to face him. He stared down into her eyes, a soft smile creeping onto his lips, his gaze dreamy and affectionate.

“I’ve got you,” he muttered.

Rose nodded back at him, returning the smile.

“Always,” she replied.

He didn’t smile at this, his gaze instead intensified, and she could feel his hearts racing against her back as he pressed himself close to her. The Doctor pulled her toward him again with his arm, manoeuvring her body to turn to face him. His other hand dropped to her knee and his face drew close to hers. His mouth sagged open a little and his eyes danced from her lips up to her eyes and back again.

She could feel his breaths coming in short and fast, and her eyes widened a little at his shift in mood. The hand on her knee slid its way up and rounded her bum, slowly tracing the shape of her with yearning.

“I want you,” he murmured, licking his lips.

Rose pressed a hand against his chest to stop him moving his mouth any closer to hers, giving him a pointed look.

“You’re drunk,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t want you,” he countered. “I already said I did when I wasn’t drunk.”

“And you said nothing was gonna happen because I’m pregnant, remember?” she replied. “It might hurt the baby or something.”

The Doctor wrapped his ankle around hers and took hold of her hand on his chest, letting go of her bum. He grinned, a mischievous look in his eye.

“That was a lie,” he murmured.

He pressed her into a passionate kiss, his lips hungry as he grasped her hand at his chest, the other holding the back of her head firmly. He manoeuvred her lips apart, sliding his tongue inside her mouth, deepening their kiss and letting out a soft groan as he did so.

Rose found herself yielding to his advances, enjoying the feeling of kissing him so intimately again. His mouth was hot and eager, desperate to devour her, and his hands clung to her like she might slip away from him at any moment. She returned his fervour, responding aggressively to his kiss and grabbing him by his shirt collar on both sides, to hold him as she did so.

She felt his hearts pounding against her chest, and was sure hers was doing the same, as his hand holding hers let go to slip back down to her thigh. He pulled at her knee, bringing up over his to hold her body against his, pinning him against the soft leather seat of the booth.

Rose briefly wondered if they should be doing this in public, but she remembered the corner was dark and many other people had already been doing the same thing. Still, she broke the kiss abruptly, breathing hard and staring into the Doctor’s heavy eyes. He reached his hand up, running his thumb along her bottom lip that hung open as she gasped for breath.

“You taste so good,” he whispered. “I could just eat you all up.”

There was a twinkle in his eye at this, and Rose blushed deeper, realising his insinuation.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” she said breathlessly, still holding onto his shirt. “You’re smashed, and if you weren’t, I don’t think you’d do this.”

The Doctor tugged her leg further over, so she was just about straddling him and pressing her body up against his.

“You think I don’t want you?” he murmured.

To make his point, the Doctor pulled her body down harder on him, his eyes burning as she felt his erection press stiffly against her thigh. Rose let out a frustrated sigh, her eyes raking over his body and her hands gripping his shirt.

“Oh bugger it,” she said. “You can yell at me tomorrow for this.”

She crushed her lips against the Doctor’s again, kissing him desperately, her tongue diving into his mouth once again with fervour. He responded back in kind, his hands grabbing at her hips and holding her body down firmly on his, as he squirmed beneath in enjoyment.

Rose felt her head spinning as their hands roved each other’s bodies, searching and frantic, and she knew in the back of her mind what this was leading up to. The night she had spent with the Doctor before was nothing like this, it was all sweetness and tender kisses, not desperate groping and hard, hot tongues. But right now, she didn’t care.

The Doctor broke their kiss to bite on her earlobe and let out a heavy breath in her ear, causing her to shiver.

“I want to feel you again Rose,” he murmured. “I need to be inside you. Deep inside.”

Rose let out a garbled groan at this, and captured his mouth with hers again, silencing him before he said anything else to drive her even more crazy. She could feel him hard and yearning beneath her, and it was taking all of her willpower not to rip his clothes off and take him right there.

Just as she was about to suggest they head back to the Tardis, they were shoved roughly to one side of the booth by someone slamming into them, breaking them apart. Jack gave them a grin and glanced sideways out of the booth, looking like he was trying to hide.

“Sorry to break up the party,” he said, leaning over to them. “But I think we’d better leave. There’s going to be trouble.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack, the Doctor and Rose try to escape.

Jack pushed Rose and the Doctor out the other side of the booth and began herding them through the crowd, keeping low and watchful. He leaned in and spoke loudly into Rose’s ear as they moved along towards the exit.

“Seems the guy I was dancing with is the brother of Perry Monaghan: a small goods dealer who tends to get his hands on alien tech,” Jack explained. “My team sort of stole a Tarenthian weapons scanner off him last week.”

“ _Sort of_ stole it?” Rose asked.

“It wasn’t safe in his hands, so we took it off him, and now he’s not happy about it,” Jack said. “That, and he probably didn’t appreciate me dancing with his brother too.”

Rose spotted a group of angry-looking men heading in their direction, obviously noticing Jack trying to make a break for it. She couldn’t see them holding any weapons, but that was probably because they couldn’t have them out in a crowded, public place without causing a scene. She was more worried about what would happen when they managed to get out of the club.

They finally reached the door, with the men hot on their tail, and Jack shoved the two of them out ahead of him, flicking a glance back to check.

“Run!” he shouted, as they stumbled down the steps of the club.

The three of them bolted toward the car, Rose only hearing the ragged sounds of her own breath and her heart pounding in her ears. Jack got there first, opening the doors and sliding into the driver’s seat. Before Rose had even got the car door shut beside her in the back seat, the tyres squealed and they were off down the road.

She fumbled with her belt as they careened around a corner, chased by Perry and his men in two dark cars. She managed to clip it shut, gripping onto the seat in front, with the Doctor squashed beside her as he grasped at his own seatbelt. He too finally got himself clicked into place in the centre seat, wrapping an arm around Rose as the car dodged and swerved, trying to lose their tails.

Jack flipped a switch on the front console and Rose saw a replicate of their car appear out of nowhere in the lane next to them. It suddenly turned off down another street and one of the tails followed, ditching pursuit of them.

“What was that?” Rose asked breathlessly.

“Holographic projection decoy,” Jack replied. “Wireless emission with a range two to five miles.”

“In English?” she said dryly.

“A replica of this car, identical to the naked eye, only it’s a hologram,” he explained. “The other car will chase it around the streets until we get too far away, which is a few miles.”

Rose nodded and the Doctor grinned at her questions. She poked him in the ribs, knowing he was making fun of her ignorance.

“Oh, okay,” she said. “But what about the other car?”

Jack yanked the steering wheel, sending them hurtling around another corner, down the back streets to the dock area of Cardiff Bay. Rose and the Doctor grasped at the seats and armrests, trying to hold on.

“Working on it!” he grunted.

The car whizzed past shipping containers and through open warehouses, the tail still behind them but now lagging in their pursuit. Jack took another sharp turn to bring them down past rows of large garages, and he pressed another button on the dash panel. One of the corrugated iron panels between the garages rumbled open, giving just enough space for the Range Rover to slip in between the shadows.

The panel closed quickly behind them again and Jack brought the car to an abrupt halt, turning it off and leaving them in complete darkness. They all listened, breathing hard, as the sound of the other car drove slowly back and forth but didn’t seem to detect them. Rose exhaled loudly, sitting back in the seat.

She then let out a surprised yelp as she felt the Doctor’s warm, wet mouth on her earlobe and his inquisitive hand sliding up her thigh. His tongue licked its way along the outer edge of her ear, his breath hot and rapid, and at first, Rose didn’t protest. It felt too good to stop him.

His fingers inched further and further up, coming to rest between her legs, where he pressed against her over her jeans. Rose groaned in response, causing the Doctor to capture her mouth in a deep kiss.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Jack protested in the darkness. “No-one is allowed to make out in the back of my car except me.”

The Doctor ignored him and continued to snog Rose while they waited in the pitch black for the car to leave. The only sounds were the crunch of tyres on gravel outside, the heavy breaths of Rose and the Doctor, and the moist sounds on mouth on mouth. As Rose slid a hand up the Doctor’s thigh and brushed against the stiff excitement in his trousers, he let out a groan, which was then echoed by Jack in the front seat.

“Jack!” Rose hissed, breaking their kiss.

“Oh, what, you’re allowed to get off in here and I’m not?” he countered. “You’re the ones making all the hot and dirty sounds!”

The Doctor chuckled, and Rose shoved him sheepishly.

“Be glad he was only listening,” the Doctor grinned.

There was silence from the front seat except for the sound of Jack shifting in the chair.

“Jack!” the Doctor and Rose both exclaimed, astounded.

“You two have been at it all night; flirting, hugging, kissing, touching, groaning. It’s been driving me crazy because I find both of you insanely attractive,” Jack admitted. “You can’t expect me to keep my hands still when you’re going at it in this car with me.”

The Doctor began laughing again, and Rose slapped him in the arm, pushing him off. He let out an “oi” of protest and shifted back up to sitting position, sighing back into the seat. Rose tutted at him, shaking her head, even though he couldn’t see it.

“I think the car’s gone now, yeah?” she said. “Let’s get back to the Tardis.”

Jack turned the car back on, the lights illuminating the small, metal hideaway, making them all squint at the sudden brightness of the beams. Jack flicked a glance back at them, looking sheepish, and then pressed the button on the dash to open the iron panel behind them. He reversed the car out, looking around to make sure they weren’t still being followed, and then headed back toward the road.

“So, what was that place?” Rose asked after a few moments of silence. “Some secret hidey-hole or something?”

Jack nodded.

“Torchwood has all sorts of secret areas – small garages, big warehouses, underground tunnels, lab facilities. Built into existing infrastructure around Cardiff and all over Britain,” he explained. “My team only has access to those around Cardiff though, because each unit has its own designated areas to watch over. We need to get permission to access any of the others.”

Rose smacked the Doctor’s hands away as he attempted to run his hands over her legs and body again, leaning in to graze his lips against her neck. He grumbled at her rejection of him and sighed. She gave him a pointed look.

“Not now,” Rose said firmly. “Not while we’re in the car with Jack.”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and flicked a flirtatious glance to Jack in the rear-view mirror.

“But he likes it,” he purred. “We can give him a free show later if he’s lucky.”

Rose gasped and slapped the Doctor hard on the arm again, shoving him. They both watched as Jack’s cheeks flushed in the mirror and he bit his lip.

“Now you’re just being a tease,” he replied, though his voice wobbled a little.

The Doctor leaned forward, bringing his face close to Jack’s ear in the front seat. Rose watched as Jack’s body shuddered at the Doctor’s warm breath on his skin.

“You’re thinking about it though, aren’t you?” the Doctor murmured, his eyes raking over Jack’s body, watching him squirm. “I bet you think about it a lot. Alone in your big, empty Torchwood base at night. Nothing and no-one but your thoughts and your own hands.”

Jack grunted, swerving off the road a little, and Rose yanked the Doctor back into his seat, smacking him once again.

“Stop that,” she chided. “You’re being mean. And you’re gonna cause a road accident.”

The Doctor huffed again, rolling his eyes. Jack shifted in his seat, exhaling slowly.

“You know, Doctor, I never would have picked you as a seducer of men, but you’re very good at it,” Jack mused, trying to distract himself from the Doctor’s words. “I guess over all those years you’ve had time to practice.”

The Doctor gave him a half-smile and nodded, leaning back to drape his arm across the back of the seats.

“Oh, come on Jack, why would you think I’d be close-minded on that subject?” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to visit some of Earth’s greatest seducers, and believe me, they had no concern for set rules or categories. Most of them didn’t even care that I was from another planet, even way back in history.”

Rose stared at him incredulously, stunned by what he was insinuating.

“So, you just travel through history shagging famous people?” she choked.

The Doctor turned, giving her a soft look.

“I have done, but it wasn’t all the time,” he said gently. “You know I’m curious about humans, I just wanted to learn everything there was to know in that area. I had some great teachers. Casanova was particularly handsome.”

Rose still stared at him, suddenly feeling very small and silly in the company of two men so very experienced in the areas of seduction and sex. The Doctor sensed her anxiety and placed his hand warmly over hers, smiling. He kissed her forehead gently, murmuring so only she could hear.

“That was long ago,” he whispered. “Before I met you. You’re all I want now.”

He gazed at her tenderly, cupping her cheek with his hand, and Rose couldn’t help but return the smile he gave her. She loved when he looked at her that way, it made her feel so adored, and her head swam with hungry need for him. She suddenly wished he wasn’t so drunk, so she could talk to him properly about this and persuade him to rethink their physical needs arrangement.

As they arrived back at Mermaid Quay, and Jack began to park the car in the garage, Rose had an idea. Something that may allow her to talk to the Doctor properly and get him to sober up some more before they turned in for the night. As they climbed out of the car, Rose rounded the front to speak to Jack privately.

“I want you to come back to the Tardis with us,” she whispered, the Doctor still extricating himself from the seatbelt.

Jack’s eyes widened, and Rose frowned at him.

“Not for that,” she hissed. “Come back so I can get the Doctor to sober up a bit and talk to me.”

Jack looked slightly disappointed, but nodded and smiled at her. He took her hand, and she took the Doctor’s as he finally piled himself out of the Range Rover.

“It’s still early, so Jack thought he’d come to the Tardis for a bit and we can catch up some more,” Rose said.

“But no funny business,” Jack said to the Doctor with a grin.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at him as they marched back across Roald Dahl Plass, grinning back.

“You wish,” he remarked.

“I do, actually,” Jack replied.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three travellers head back to the Tardis.

As they entered the Tardis and made their way to one of the sitting rooms, Rose’s stomach became to rumble with nervousness. She’d had this idea of how to pass the time to allow the Doctor to sober up a little, but now it didn’t seem like a very good one. She wasn’t sure exactly what would happen, or how enthusiastic Jack might be about it.

Rose flopped herself down on one of the sofa chairs, specifically so the Doctor couldn’t sit next to her, and Jack took off his jacket, throwing it over the back of the couch. The Doctor looked a little disappointed he couldn’t cuddle up next to Rose, but just shrugged and draped himself across one end of the couch. Jack joined him at the other end.

Jack looked at Rose expectantly. “So…interesting night huh?” he said with a smile.

The Doctor smiled, glancing over at Rose, who blushed, avoiding his gaze.

“So, what now?” Jack continued.

Rose took a deep breath.

“Since it’s still early, I thought we’d play a game, get to know each other a bit more,” she explained.

“What game?” Jack asked, intrigued.

“Truth or dare,” she declared.

They both stared at her blankly and she rolled her eyes.

“Twentieth century game where one person asks another truth or dare,” she explained. “If they pick truth, the first person gets to ask them any question and they have to answer it. Dare, the first person thinks up something fun or shocking for them to do.”

Jack broke out into a grin, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah, I remember reading about this, but I’ve never actually played it before myself,” he said. “What happens if you refuse to tell the truth or do the dare?”

“Traditionally, you have to take a shot of alcohol, but I think we’ve had enough of that tonight,” she said, giving the Doctor a pointed look. “So, it’ll have to be something else that none of us want to do.”

They all sat, thinking for a moment. Then Jack grinned again, leaning forward from his seated position, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

“You have to go streaking across past the Millennium Centre and Mermaid Quay for a full minute,” he suggested.

Rose started giggling and the Doctor blushed, frowning at him.

“Well, that’s not fair, you have no problem with getting your kit off for anyone,” the Doctor complained. “How is that a punishment for you?”

Jack laughed and sat back in his seat, rubbing his chin.

“Doctor, I have to live and work in this city and I don’t think the Torchwood branch would be very happy with me drawing that much attention to myself,” he explained. “I have to maintain a low profile.”

They then agreed that was a suitable punishment for all of them, and Rose chewed her lip, wondering who was going to go first. The Doctor already seemed a little more sober than when they were in the club, probably due to all the running around and exertion in the car. Still, he continued to sit there with a slightly sloppy smile on his face, his head slouched back against the couch.

Rose took another deep breath and decided to plunge in to begin the game.

“Jack,” she said. “Truth or dare?”

Jack smiled and thought for a moment.

“Let’s start out tame,” he replied. “Truth.”

Rose grinned, poking her tongue out between her teeth before choosing an appropriate question.

“Would you really want to watch if me and the Doctor were to…?” she trailed off, her cheeks flushing. “You know, if we seriously asked you?”

Jack and the Doctor’s eyebrows both arched in surprise, and Jack started laughing. The Doctor looked a little stunned. Jack shifted in his seat, leaning forward toward Rose, his eyes dark and fiery.

“You cheeky girl, you already know the answer to that question,” he replied. “Of course I would, no doubt about it. You know how much you two turn me on, and watching you would just be…well, fantastic.”

He shot a grin at the Doctor, who smiled back sheepishly, fidgeting in his seat. He seemed to be getting less audacious in his actions and words, and Rose wondered how quickly Time Lords recovered from intoxication. It might not be the same as humans at all, since alcohol didn’t affect them in the same way in the first place.

Jack thought for a moment, his eyes jumping back and forth between Rose and the Doctor. They finally settled on the restless form of the Doctor.

“Doctor, truth or dare?” he asked.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at Jack, half-smiling.

“Truth,” he said finally.

Jack smiled to himself, and Rose braced herself, knowing absolutely anything could come out of his mouth right now. The Doctor was normally very secretive, and even in his intoxicated state, it still might be difficult to extract information out of him. He may not appreciate being asked certain personal things, and all this could end in a big argument if Jack wasn’t careful.

“What happened during the night you spent with Rose?” he asked boldly. “She wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“Jack!” Rose exclaimed.

She stared at him in disbelief, slightly displeased that he would ask about something so personal between herself and the Doctor. He just shrugged at her, still grinning, and she glared at him, though more embarrassed than angry. The Doctor didn’t seem surprised but gave Jack a wry smile.

“You know very well that Rose and I made love,” he replied. “What else is there to say?”

He flicked a quick look at Rose, his eyes warm and deep, and she couldn’t help but return the contented smile he gave her. Her stomach began to flutter with butterflies again, and she bit her lip, her mind flashing back to that night.

Jack shook his head, determined, and still grinning.

“Come on, Doctor, I want details,” Jack pressed. “All she said was that it wasn’t like what happened between you and me. So how was it?”

The Doctor folded his arms, sitting back in the couch and sending another gaze in Rose’s direction. This time it was more of a questioning look, and she nodded her head in approval.

“S’ok,” she said softly. “You can tell him. Just be kind.”

He smiled warmly at her again, and then winked, causing her to blush. She didn’t know why she was suddenly feeling so self-conscious about their night together; she had already spoken to the Doctor about it before without too much discomfort and they’d acknowledged their physical attraction to each other. Still, Rose felt nervous now that someone else was involved; she feared she may appear foolish or inexperienced.

“Oh, she has nothing to be ashamed about, believe me,” the Doctor told Jack, his tone heavy and a sly grin on his lips. “She looked beautiful and felt amazing.”

Rose’s cheeks burned again, and she squirmed in her sofa chair, pulling her knees up to rest her feet on the seat. The Doctor smiled at her and then leaned forward closer to Jack to explain everything to him.

“She set it all up perfectly – soft lighting, candles, perfumes and even wore special lingerie just for me,” the Doctor said softly, remembering. “She was determined to make it not just a quick shag, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Rose couldn’t even look at him now, she played with the sleeve of her hoodie, chewing her lip.

“It was different than with you Jack, because then my head was filled with hormones and dirty thoughts, and all I wanted to do was shag anyone all night,” the Doctor admitted. “But with Rose, I didn’t feel that. Quite clear-headed actually. Like I wasn’t…”

He trailed off, shifting a little and clearing his throat, suddenly aware he was being a little too honest, especially with Jack in the room. Jack raised an eyebrow at him, understanding what he was getting at, but said nothing, letting the Doctor continue.

“We started kissing, I undressed her, she undressed me, and then I began exploring her body,” he murmured, his eyes now distant. “I touched and tasted her all over, until she…”

Jack looked over at Rose, whose face was still flushed, and began chuckling in amusement. She didn’t say anything, just continued to squirm in embarrassment.

“And how exactly was going down on you going to cure him?” he asked cheekily.

The Doctor smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

“We just got caught up in it. I don’t blame her,” he admitted. “I liked it too.”

Jack’s eyes danced back and forth between Rose and the Doctor, watching their reactions and expressions as the Doctor confessed. Rose still looked a little ashamed, but obviously surprised by the Doctor’s appreciation of their night together. The Doctor looked a little more sobered up now, possibly due to the weighty discussion they were having, as well as the passing time.

“So. Anyway. Rose started touching me then. She has such soft, gentle hands. Turned me on very quickly,” the Doctor continued, his sentences coming in short, sharp fragments now. “I pulled her into my lap. I pushed inside her. She wrapped her legs around me.”

The grin was now wiped from Jack’s face as he listened intently in close proximity to the Doctor’s confession. He swallowed, his mouth feeling dry and skin very warm, unable to stop the formation of images in his mind of the two of them together. The Doctor also seemed caught up in it, his pupils dilated, and gaze heavy and faraway. His hands fidgeted on the hem of his shirt, and his cheeks had become a little flushed from all the talk about sex.

“Then what?” Jack murmured, almost begging.

The Doctor’s fixed gaze broke then, and his eyes zipped over to Rose’s restless form, and he swallowed hard, mouth falling open.

“Then I started touching her again. I could feel her body squeeze me. It drove me crazy. Her voice in my ears. Her breath on my skin,” he said softly. “I could barely hold on. And then she came. And I let go. It was the most wonderful thing I have ever felt.”

Rose looked up at him at this, her eyes wide. She had never heard the Doctor speak like this before, not about her. He was so passionate and heartfelt, like he was pouring out his soul to them. His words were like music to her ears and she wished dearly that he meant all of it.. She wondered how much of this was still from his intoxication and how much was the true him shining through.

Jack too looked astounded, and sat back in his seat. He ruffled his hair with his hand and exhaled loudly.

“Wow. That sounds like it was incredible,” he said finally. “I mean, for me it was still the best sex I’ve ever had, but not the way you describe with Rose. So much passion and love. That’s amazing.”

The Doctor and Rose both remained silent, the word _love_ echoing in their ears. Jack sensed their anxiety and decided to change the mood.

“So, Doctor, who’re you going to ask now?” he inquired. “It’s your turn.”

The Doctor looked over at Rose again, and she met his gaze, her stomach now rumbling violently with butterflies. She prayed he wouldn’t ask her, because she didn’t know how effective her voice would be right now, considering how nervous she felt. But he then broke his intense stare and looked back over at Jack.

“Jack,” he said. “Truth or dare?”

“Let’s up the stakes and go with dare,” Jack replied.

The Doctor thought for a minute or so and then grinned wickedly.

“I dare you to go into my wardrobe and dress in the naughtiest thing you can find,” he announced. “And if we don’t think it’s good enough, you’ll have to go back and change until it is.”

Jack huffed in amusement and rolled his eyes.

“I’ve seen your wardrobe, and its full of scarves, suits and hideously loud shirts,” he snorted. “I doubt I’m going to find anything naughty in there.”

The Doctor’s eyes twinkled mischievously and he folded his arms across his chest again, rocking in his seat.

“Mmmm, you’ll be surprised what I’ve picked up on my travels,” he replied, his pitch higher in caution. “Go and have a look, see what you find.”

Jack shrugged and stood up from the couch, striding out the door and down the hallway towards the wardrobe. When he was gone, an awkward silence hung in the air as Rose and the Doctor realised they were alone once again. Rose glanced over at him every now and then, to see if he was looking at her, and jumped when he met her gaze on the fifth occasion.

He gave her a half-smile and tipped his head to one side, ruffling his hair with his hand. The Doctor exhaled loudly and opened his mouth to speak.

“Did you mean all that stuff you said?” Rose asked abruptly, interrupting him. “I mean, about our night together?”

His expression softened and he smiled warmly at her. He sat forward a little, his gaze intense and full of adoration.

“Of course I did, Rose, I wouldn’t have said it otherwise,” he told her. “I would never lie about something like that.”

Rose shrugged, still playing with her sleeve, knowing it sounded harsh that she hadn’t believed him.

“Not lie,” she explained. “Just thought you were being…flattering.”

She swallowed, looking up at him as he continued to stare at her so intently. She couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her lips as she accepted that he had been honest when telling Jack about their night together.

“So, was good then, yeah?” she asked, grinning sheepishly.

The Doctor returned her smile, his eyes still heavy, and shifted in his seat to move closer toward her.

“Oh yes,” he replied. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

Rose flushed in response and smiled shyly in pride.

“In fact,” he said slowly, his voice softer now. “I wouldn’t mind doing it again, if you want to. But it’s okay if you don’t, I understand.”

She stared at him incredulously for a moment and then let out an amused sigh, pressing her tongue against her teeth.

“Doctor, am I not being obvious enough with you?” she asked, chuckling. “Of course I want to. We already talked about this and I told you straight out I wanted to shag you. Nothing’s changed.”

Rose stood up from her seat and plonked down on the couch next to the Doctor, tucking her legs underneath her. She rested her body against his, leaning an elbow against the back of the couch and propping her head up with her hand. She gazed at him affectionately, not really sure why she couldn’t stop grinning. The Doctor seemed unfazed, returning her smile and reaching over to stroke her chin and lips with his thumb.

“I believe I also said I didn’t know if I could keep control of myself if we made love again,” he reminded her. “The baby should be fine, but aren’t you afraid I’ll hurt you?”

Rose noted to herself the way he always referred to their physical union as ‘making love’ rather than something more crass, filing it away in her head to think about what it meant later. She kissed the thumb that was wandering over her lips, closing her eyes briefly, and then opening again with a look of conviction in them. Her smile faded a little as she stared at him.

“I trust you, Doctor,” she said softly.

Rose watched as his amused expression faltered, touched by her faith in him, and his eyes softened. His hand moved to cup her face, his gaze searching and communicative at the same time. There was so much behind those eyes, she could feel her heart tugging at the emotion they conveyed, and she waited with baited breath for him to speak.

“Oh Rose, I…” he whispered, swallowing. “I – ”

Just then, Jack burst back into the room, dressed in cowboy chaps, boots, a rodeo hat and whip. The Doctor’s hand dropped from Rose’s face and he sat back, startled out of his reverie by Jack’s entrance. Rose snorted as Jack strode in, noticing him not wearing anything but a g-string under the chaps, baring his bum to all in view. She was torn between feeling irritated by his once again excruciating timing and surprised by how good he looked in that outfit.

“Well, what do you think?” Jack asked, spinning around and striking a pose. “Is this naughty enough?”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor makes an uncharacteristically direct proposal.

The three of them continued to play Truth or Dare for another hour or so, though things surprisingly became more light-hearted and less audacious as the game wore on. It mostly consisted of them dressing up in silly costumes and recounting old tales of embarrassing and sticky situations. Rose was slightly disappointed by this, unable to extract more personal information out of the Doctor, but also relieved that they didn’t have to confess to each other in front of Jack. Additionally, the Doctor seemed much more sober and back to his usual self, though still shot her suggestive looks every now and then.

As they all sat back at a lull in conversation, Jack stood up and reached for his original clothing to change back into.

“Well, it’s getting a bit late now, so I should probably head off,” he announced. “Thanks for an interesting night though, it’s been fun catching up.”

The Doctor and Rose both stood up and exchanged glances briefly. The Doctor motioned to the hallway off to the left of them.

“There’s plenty of room here Jack, you can stay in the Tardis,” he offered. “You don’t have to go back to Torchwood and be alone. That way we can do a proper goodbye in the morning.”

Jack looked hesitant for a moment, which was perplexing to Rose, but then he shrugged and nodded.

“Yeah, sure, okay,” he said.

He made his way toward the hallway, Rose sniggering as she watched him lug his clothes awkwardly, dressed in black hotpants, red stilettos and black, long-sleeved blouse. He threw her an amused look and winked at her before disappearing through the doorway and down the corridor.

The Doctor and Rose were left alone in the sitting room again, and an awkward silence followed. The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets and Rose chewed on her lip, glancing over at him. He cleared his throat, rocking back and forth on his feet.

“So. Off to bed then?” he said finally.

Rose wasn’t sure if that was a question for her, or a statement of his own intentions. She wished it was neither.

“Yeah, I guess,” she replied, attempting to be equally ambiguous.

His head still facing the floor, he looked up at her through his eyelashes. His gaze was pondering and searching, and he pressed his lips together in thought. She stared back at him expectantly.

“Well,” he said slowly. “I mean, unless you want to –”

“What?” Rose asked abruptly, her heart jumping into her throat.

She could feel her body trying to tremble but she willed herself to keep control. She swallowed hard, her gaze locked on him, waiting. He shifted uncomfortably in an attempt to organise his thoughts, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. He let out an exasperated sigh and stepped closer to her, taking her hand. Rose looked down at his hand in hers and then back up at him again.

“Come to bed with me,” he said seriously.

Rose stood frozen for a moment, not sure if this was actually happening or if it was some kind of elaborate hallucination she was having. She swallowed again, her mouth falling open a little, and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears again. She realised that it was a bit silly for her to be so dumbstruck by this; they had snogged and groped on several occasions this evening, and also talked about shagging each other. But it was right now that he was asking her to join him, and she was suddenly panicking.

Half out of nervousness and half excitement, Rose abruptly captured the Doctor’s lips in a fervent kiss, her hands running roughly through his hair, ruffling it. But he quickly responded, opening his mouth to allow her access and wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her closer. She sighed audibly as his tongue met hers, warm and wet, and she was relieved as she noted his kisses were just as hungry and desperate as her own.

His frame was strong and commanding against hers, to the slight surprise of Rose, as he pushed her back against a nearby wall to get more control of their kiss. The Doctor’s hands began to rove over her figure, one running down her neck and throat, and the other at her thigh and hip. She gasped for breath as he continued to kiss her, his mouth relentless and his tongue dancing around her own.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing her hips outward to meet his, and was rewarded with a soft grunt as she felt his hardness push into her pelvis. Her hand slid to his bum, grabbing it to hold him against her, and was then suddenly aware he was still wearing those low-cut hippy flares from when they had played dress-up. Rose couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her throat as an image popped into her head of what they must look like right now; the Doctor in those jeans, a flowing, open shirt and silver peace signs, and herself in green army fatigues and combat boots.

The Doctor stopped abruptly at this, giving her a confused look and breathing hard. Rose shook her head and tried to stifle another laugh.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “Was just thinking of how we’re dressed. Must look funny.”

His arms looped around her waist and stared down at her, flashing her that dazzling smile of his.

“I’m sure we do,” he agreed. “From memory, the protesters just put flowers in the guns of the troops; I don’t think they actually snogged any of them.”

Rose laughed and the Doctor grinned wider, eyes twinkling. She reached up, her hand at the side of his face, her fingers playing with his hair just above his ears. He murmured in enjoyment, leaning his face against her hand, his eyelids fluttering. Then the Doctor’s smile faded and he looked at her seriously.

“My Rose,” he said softly. “The offer still stands, if you want to.”

She could feel her legs shaking and heart racing. She was in a state, and wasn’t prepared for this right now; the night had been such an emotional rollercoaster for her. Perhaps she was starting to feel the effects of the pregnancy already or maybe she was just so nervous about sleeping with the Doctor again. Either way, she realised she couldn’t go through with this now. And she knew she was going to hate herself for it in the morning, as she spoke the next words.

“I can’t,” she said softly. “I’m…not tonight…”

Her own head was screaming at her not to say these things, to just take up his offer right now because she really did want him. The Doctor looked disappointed and a little hurt, and she cringed to herself.

“I want to,” she explained quickly. “I do. Just, so much has happened today. Tomorrow maybe, yeah?”

He looked at her carefully, noticing the fire dancing behind her eyes, but also the worry that accompanied it. She didn’t want to rush anything and ruin it, he knew that. He felt the same, though his body was crying out for her touch, and he ran a fidgety hand over her waist and hips, swallowing hard.

“There’s no hurry,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. “We can wait.”

The Doctor watched Rose’s eyes rake up and down his body quickly, settling back at his eyes with a desperate gaze. She bit her lip, a silent battle going on behind her eyes, and he could tell that this was hard for her to resist too. She wanted him; he could feel it in the heat of her body and the racing of her heart, and he could sense the pheromones coming off her in waves.

But her head knew better, and he was proud of her for that. Normally, she was so impulsive and emotional, so human. But now she was thinking logically, looking ahead to the consequences of her actions. Maybe he was rubbing off on her, or maybe the pregnancy was already starting to affect her. He didn’t know which.

“Yeah,” she said finally, her voice breathy. “Tomorrow.”

Rose pressed her lips against his again, engaging him in a passionate kiss, which he eagerly responded to. The infusion of potent human hormones and sexual energy that radiated from her was driving him crazy, and it took much of his willpower to keep control of his roaming hands as he kissed her. Her own hands were shaking as she gripped onto his shirt, her mouth and tongue so hungry for more of him than she would allow herself tonight.

With much regret, Rose finally tore her lips away from his, letting go of him and stepping back. She knew if she didn’t go now, she never would. She swallowed, smoothing down her hair, and pressed her lips together.

“Goodnight, Doctor,” she said, her voice cracking.

It took all her strength to break his gaze and turn away, aware that she had possibly just done the stupidest thing she could think of. As she made her way down the hall, her heart pounding in her ears, she hoped and prayed that the Doctor would not change his mind about his offer the next day.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose finds an unconventional solution to her frustration.

When Rose got back to her room, she got ready for bed but found sleep eluded her. She silently cursed herself for thinking it was a good idea to decline the Doctor’s invitation to bed, as now her head spun with thoughts of touching him and her heart refused to slow it’s pace enough for her to calm down. She couldn’t keep herself still, tossing and turning in her bed, kicking off the covers in frustration and her hands fiddling at her pillow.

She had been able to tell that the Doctor had wanted her too, probably just as desperately as she wanted him, she had felt it when she kissed him. She’d somehow known that he was trying so hard to hold himself back, and she had just made it worse by kissing him and telling him he couldn’t have her tonight. Even though she wanted him to.

‘ _Stupid, stupid. What were you thinking?_ ’ Rose thought to herself, as she sat up in bed.

She rubbed her face with her hands irritably, not sure what to do. It would be rude to now burst in and take the Doctor up on his offer, and would probably end badly because she knew she still wasn’t ready. She needed to sleep, for her visit to Dr. Teng the next day, although, technically, they could wait as long as they liked. After all, they were in a ship that travelled through time.

But it didn’t seem like sleep was coming any time soon. Rose’s head was buzzing too much and her skin was still hot from all her encounters with the Doctor tonight. Somehow she just couldn’t cool herself down, despite the fact there were no covers on the bed now and that she was only wearing her short, satin nightslip.

The room was impossibly stuffy, and she stood up, deciding that getting out of this room might take her mind off things. She could watch some telly or read a book until she was sleepy enough to go back to bed. But when Rose emerged out into the hall, she realised it was just as hot out there as it was in her room.

Time seemed to slow, and her heart sped up, as it dawned on her what the temperature change meant. The Tardis only did screwy things like that when the Doctor affected it. When he was…

She staggered down the dark hall, head spinning, racking her brain as to what she should do. She couldn’t well go to the Doctor now, although he probably knew she wasn’t asleep either right now. It was likely he was deliberately doing this so she would know just how frustrated he was and trying to drive her just as crazy as him. It was working.

Rose’s hands clawed at the walls, feeling the heat and sensations coming off them, absorbing the pleasures into her palms. The tingles ran through her, awakening every part of her body and making the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stand on end. She closed her eyes, allowing the sexual current to suffuse her synapses, and pool in her pelvis and chest. She wanted him, so badly, and right now. But she couldn’t, and it just made her want him more.

She jumped as she heard a soft shuffle of feet down the hall, and whipped her head around to see a figure peeking out from a door further down. They stepped out tentatively, and Rose squinted, trying to make them out in the dark.

“Rose?” Jack’s voice echoed down the passageway.

She froze, unable and unwilling to tear her hands away from the blissful energy seeping out from the wall in front of her. She could still hear her heavy breaths in her ears, her body pulsing with need, and found herself unable to form any sort of words to reply to him.

Jack approached her, himself looking ruffled and restless in the dim light, and he stared at her inquisitively.

“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?” he asked, his eyes flashing in the dark.

He grinned slightly at her, and Rose let out a shaky breath, turning to press her back flat against the wall. At this, her eyes rolled back slightly and she exhaled loudly, the warmth from the Tardis beginning to overwhelm her senses.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Jack asked. “Is it the funny temperature of the Tardis affecting you?”

Rose let out a breathy chuckle, closing her eyes for a moment, and then grinning at him, pressing her palms flat against the wall. Her back arched in pleasure as she continued to soak up the radiating energy, and Jack’s eyebrows rose in surprise and curiosity.

“You could say that,” she murmured. “Come here, let me show you something.”

Jack moved forward, intrigued by her behaviour, and she reached out, taking his hand and then pulling it behind her to press against the wall. She watched in amusement as his eyes widened, and he snatched his hand back in surprise. She grinned, pressing her tongue against her teeth, and stared at him with heavy eyes.

“The Doctor has this trick he can do with the Tardis,” she murmured. “He can transmit things throughout the ship if he’s in contact with it. Send out what he’s thinking, feeling and… _doing _.”__

__She let out another sigh, her eyelids fluttering, and bit her lip as she felt the energy surge again through the walls of the ship. Rose let her head sink back, resting it against the warm, metal surface and took a deep breath in through her nose and exhaled slowly out her mouth._ _

__When she opened her eyes she found Jack with his gaze fixed on her, his body tense and his brow furrowed in concentration. There was fire and darkness in his eyes, and she watched as his hands twitched, balling up into fists and squeezing in frustration. His eyebrows arched up again, in curiosity._ _

__“So,” Jack whispered finally. “What’s he doing?”_ _

__Rose gave him an amused smile and raised an eyebrow back at him._ _

__“What do you think?” she asked, rhetorically._ _

__She saw Jack swallow hard and he moved very slowly, carefully, toward her. He reached his hands out and they came to rest either side of her head, palms pressed against the wall. She watched him shudder in response to the sensations and then he leaned his head in toward hers, his head tilted to one side and his eyes with a wired look in them._ _

__“This…I feel…” Jack murmured. “It’s him?”_ _

__Rose nodded, her hands fidgeting at her sides, a slight smile still on her lips._ _

__“He’s alone, in his room,” he continued, his voice breathy. “And he’s…?”_ _

__“Touching himself,” Rose finished._ _

__“Oh God,” Jack groaned, his knees buckling._ _

__His face was only inches away from hers, and his body was now beginning to lean in toward her, aching for touch. Rose felt her head becoming fuzzy with need, as she sensed Jack’s desire at the sensations from the Tardis and the thought of what the Doctor was doing right now. She knew exactly how frustrated he felt, and she briefly considered finding relief from Jack for the night._ _

__“I want you both so badly right now. You were the reason I couldn’t sleep tonight in the first place; you two had wound me up so much it was impossible,” Jack whispered, bringing his lips close to her ear. “But I know I can’t have you; the Doctor would never forgive me.”_ _

__Rose smiled, relieved he echoed her thoughts, though secretly a little disappointed due to her own frustrations. Jack wasn’t helping with the heat of desire coming off his body in waves, so close to her, and breathing his ragged breaths in her ear. She shuddered as he leaned his face in closer to her, inhaling her scent from her neck up into her hair, and exhaling a hot breath out onto her skin again._ _

__Jack straightened his body up a little, pulling up to his full height over her, and Rose sensed him regaining some control of his desires and now drawing her into it. The seductive twinkle returned to his eyes and a slight smile tugged at his lips, his hands still pressed flat against the wall either side of her head._ _

__“But just because I can’t touch you doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun,” he murmured. “After all, the Doctor clearly is.”_ _

__Himself and Rose both let out soft sighs of enjoyment as another wave of pleasure surged out from the Tardis, flooding their bodies with a buzz of sexual energy. Rose could feel her self-control slipping away and wondered if she was going to burst soon from desperation. She wanted to reach out and touch Jack; he was so very close and she could feel how much he wanted her to. And she knew how good it would feel; the two of them pressed against this wall feeling what the Doctor felt and touching each other. It was killing her, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it._ _

__“Wh– what did you have in mind?” she managed to get out, his words finally sinking in._ _

__Jack peeled a hand from the wall and placed it at his own shoulder. Closing his eyes, he began a slow journey down his chest, over his stomach, sliding down his hip and thigh to rest between his legs. He let out a soft moan as he touched the hard presence that Rose had noted had been growing there in his boxers over the last while. Her eyes widened as he opened his, staring at her as his hand remained, holding himself._ _

__“He started it,” Jack reminded her, his voice soft._ _

__She hesitated, and he reached over with the same hand, grabbing hold of her wrist and placing her hand in a similar position on herself._ _

__“You can’t tell me you’re not dying for some relief,” he murmured._ _

__“I can’t…I can’t do _that_ …” Rose whispered, slightly embarrassed._ _

__“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Jack said softly. “We’re both aching for him and we can’t have him. We deserve a release of some kind.”_ _

__Rose looked up at him, that fire in his eyes, and the heat of his body, and felt no reason to resist anymore. She pressed her hand between her legs, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh at the physical contact. Jack released her hand returned his own to its previous position, also closing his eyes and concentrating on the sensations emanating from the Tardis wall._ _

__His hand began it’s slow, deliberate trailing up and down over the fabric of his boxer shorts, the touch sending sparks of pleasure shooting through his body and buzzing into his head. He had already been relatively fired up even before he met Rose out in the hall, the events of the evening playing over and over in his head. The Doctor dancing so close with him, the feeling of his body, the sights and sounds of Rose and the Doctor making out. And of course, the description of the Doctor and Rose’s night together was the icing on the cake._ _

__Those thoughts coupled with the feeling and thought of the Doctor touching himself right now was sending Jack round the bend, his body shouting _faster, faster, faster_ at his slow-moving hand. He obeyed, speeding up his sluggish motions, and he felt his heart begin to race and a knot of tension building in his stomach. He barely noticed the desperate groan that emerged from his throat as he touched himself, too caught up in the pleasure gained from the physical contact and also that he gleaned from the Tardis._ _

__When Jack opened his eyes again, his body surged at the expression on Rose’s face that greeted him. Her eyes were squeezed shut, brow furrowed in concentration, and she was biting her lip in that incredibly cute and sexy way she often did when the Doctor was around. Jack couldn’t take his eyes off her mouth; those soft lips pressed by her teeth on one side, leaving the other side open the slightest bit to reveal a glimpse of her lovely, wet tongue. He wanted so much to taste that mouth, play with that tongue, and slip a hand down to help her reach that peak._ _

__Rose opened her eyes to find Jack staring at her desperately, his hand moving harder and faster on himself, and body damp and shuddering in yearning. His need and reaction caused her own body to respond, a growing wetness between her legs and a hard tug in her pelvis escalating her pleasure. Feeling bold, she slid up the bottom on her nightdress and slipped her hand inside her knickers, choking out a moan at finally feeling direct contact._ _

__“Oh Rose…” Jack grunted, his own hand slipping inside his boxers._ _

__They both felt the electric tension approaching breaking point through the Tardis wall, and knew it wouldn’t be long before the Doctor tumbled over that edge into his own abyss of pleasure. But it didn’t matter, because they couldn’t hold out much longer either; the constant stimulations throughout the night meant they were both ready for this release._ _

__Rose watched as Jack’s eyes roved down to where her hand moved inside her knickers, and his expression contorted to one of absolute need and his body bent toward hers. He looked back up at her, his hand working furiously now, and he leaned his face very close to hers, causing their lips to just graze against each other. Rose exhaled shakily at this, her eyelids heavy, and she wondered if he would just give up trying to resist her._ _

__“Oh…God…” Jack mumbled._ _

__Rose leaned her head forward a little, causing their lips to touch again, and slid her tongue out along his bottom lip, throwing caution to the wind. She felt herself approaching the precipice as she felt Jack’s tongue respond, reaching out to engage hers, the wet, warm sensation sending shockwaves through her body. He moved his head forward again, sealing her mouth with his, his tongue sliding into her mouth and curling around her own._ _

__Her back arched, throwing her hips forward into her own hand, as Jack kissed her, his mouth so delicious and inviting. She knew she probably should stop him, this was crossing the line of physical contact, but she didn’t care anymore. And to be honest, it wasn’t really appropriate for them to be masturbating in front of each other anyway if they were just supposed to be friends. But all that had gone out the window for now because everything just felt so good._ _

__Rose took a sharp breath in, her eyelids flying open and breaking their kiss as she felt Jack’s hand, that he had been using to touch himself, slip inside her knickers. His fingers joined hers in sliding over and around her swollen, wet nub and she choked out another moan as his touch pushed her closer and closer to the edge. She stared at him, eyes wide, unable to move her own hands to stop him as he pleasured her._ _

__“Jack…” she finally managed to gasp out. “You can’t…”_ _

__Jack began to move his fingers slower, pushing hers out the way, to slide ever so slowly and gently up and down over her clit, causing her gasp and whimper in his ear. Her body was on fire as he teased her, his fingers so skilled and nimble, he knew exactly where and how hard to touch her to keep her trembling on that knife-edge without bringing her over. Rose couldn’t think anymore, just feel, as she swelled and throbbed under his touch, his fingers diving lower to gather her own wetness and bring it back up to stimulate her._ _

__When Jack’s fingers travelled back down again to her opening, this time they didn’t come back up, but instead he slipped two fingers inside her and slid his thumb over her clit. Rose cried out at the sensation of being penetrated, and she grasped at him, her hand reaching forward into his boxers to take hold of him. Jack buckled at this, bracing himself against the wall with his other arm, his eyes burning into hers as she touched him._ _

__“Rose,” he whispered._ _

__“Jack,” she managed to whimper back._ _

__Suddenly they both felt an earthquake of electrical energy surge out from the Tardis, filling their bodies with the Doctor’s pleasure and bombarding them with his ecstasy as he came. At this point, neither of them could hold on any longer, and Jack pressed his fingers hard against the spot inside Rose, initiating her orgasm._ _

__“Doctor…” they both whispered._ _

__Jack bucked against Rose’s hand, spasming and shuddering as he came, revelling in the groans of pleasure that escaped her as she squeezed and pushed against his fingers. He barely noticed the lights and circuits in the Tardis popping, smashing and sparking as the three of them overloaded the ship with their combined surges of sexual energy. As the feelings began to fade, he pressed his forehead against the wall, breathing hard, and slowly slid his fingers from Rose, pushing her knickers back up._ _

__He could hear Rose breathing hard too, and she let go of him, manoeuvring her hand so as not to get any of his release on her. It was going to be a damn mess in his boxers and probably on the Tardis floor, but it was a small price to pay for the experience he had just had._ _

__He lifted his head away from the wall slowly, meeting Rose’s eyes. She flushed, looking sheepish, and he smiled at her._ _

__“I think we broke it,” Jack murmured, motioning to the busted lights and electrics around them in the hallway._ _

__Rose grinned back at him, straightening up her night dress and smoothing down her hair.  
“I’m not surprised,” she mumbled._ _

__He reached down, tilting her chin up with his fingers, and leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on her lips. She didn’t seem at all surprised, and Jack was glad when he felt her respond, her fingers reaching up to stroke his cheek. He had thought maybe he had pushed it too far, actually touching her and putting his fingers inside her, but she didn’t seem angry now. And after all, she had touched him too, voluntarily._ _

__When they broke apart, she smiled gently at him. He took a step away from her, creating distance between them._ _

__“That was wonderful,” he said, grinning. “Remind me to thank the Doctor tomorrow.”_ _

__And with one last wink, he turned away and wandered back off down the hall to his room. Rose remained leaning against the wall, absorbing the last ebbs of pleasure and satisfaction from the Tardis, her head fuzzy and warm. She didn’t feel guilty about what she’d done with Jack, because the Doctor was still involved in it, and she knew it was only a one-off. It had been something they had all needed; a release of all the tension and anxiety that had built up over the last few weeks._ _

__With a big smile plastered on her face, and he legs slightly wobbly from pleasure, Rose pushed herself off from the wall and started making her way back to her room. She wondered what the next day would bring for all of them, including a much more pressing matter now; their baby._ _

____


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor discuss the previous night.

The next morning, the Doctor was strangely silent about the night before. He didn’t seem ashamed or avoiding the subject in particular; he just made no specific references or indication that it had happened at all. He was just his normal, bubbly self, greeting Rose and Jack enthusiastically at breakfast, and then bidding Jack a sincere farewell as he headed back to Torchwood.

After Jack had left, Rose thought it best to leave the Doctor be for a while, see if he wanted time alone or if he would come and find her instead. She headed to the library and settled in one of the large, comfortable armchairs with one of the books the Doctor had given her previously on Gallifreyan biology. She flicked to the section on pregnancy and childbirth, and began re-reading it again, more thoroughly this time.

It all sounded very complicated and painful, even when it was put into words she did understand. Rose hoped her pregnancy would be a mix of human too, and not completely Gallifreyan, as she wasn’t quite sure she was prepared for everything that was detailed in this book.

It explained that pain and discomfort felt during the pregnancy and childbirth would not only be physical, but also mental and emotional pain. This was because of the psychic connections those from Gallifrey possessed; as the baby grew, the mother could sense the baby’s mind and vice versa. Emotions and feelings could be exchanged, both the bad and the good.

Rose wondered if this would happen with her, since she wasn’t from Gallifrey. Possibly the baby might be able to transmit what it was feeling to her, but she doubted the reverse would happen. It was like when the Doctor made those connections with humans; he could see into their mind but they couldn’t see into his. Well, apart from the time he mentioned with that French woman and the clockwork men. Rose tried to erase that particular adventure from her memory.

As she continued to read, she realised the lights in the library weren’t bright enough, and set down her book, looking for the light control. But as she looked up and around, she noticed it wasn’t the level of the lights that was the problem, it was that several of the ceiling bulbs were shattered. It took her a moment to realise what that was from, but then grinned to herself as she did so.

Rose made her way out of the library and down the hallways, scouring the Tardis for the Doctor. She needed him to fix the lights in there, and it would give her a chance to gauge his reaction to the encounter the previous night. She eventually found him tinkering in one of the electrical panels in a wall, glasses on the end of his nose and sonic screwdriver between his teeth.

He turned and grinned when he heard her, pulling the screwdriver out of his mouth and pushing his glasses back up. She returned his dazzling smile, her stomach fluttering, and he nodded his head in the direction of the panel.

“Just doing some minor repairs to some circuits,” he explained. “We were a big rough with her last night.”

Rose felt her cheeks flush as his gaze didn’t falter and neither did his grin. His eyes were deep, sparkling with mystery and mischief, and she knew hers were also conveying thoughts of the night before. The Doctor closed the wall panel, standing up from his crouched position and slipped his sonic screwdriver into the inside pocket of his jacket.

“That’s why I’m here actually,” Rose finally managed to get out. “There’s some broken bulbs in the library, I couldn’t read properly.”

He nodded, holding out a hand to her and smiling again. She took it, looking up at him, her belly filling with that warmth it always did when he looked at her like that. His eyes, his smile, the tone of his voice said so much to her, how he felt about her, but the actual words never fell from his lips. Maybe she was imagining it, hoping it was there because she wanted it to be. Or maybe people from his planet had different social signals to humans, and it was just a case of mistranslation.

“Better go have a look then,” the Doctor said, beginning to lead her down the corridor. “I think she’s a bit upset with me about burning out so many parts of her.”

Rose trailed after him, trying to keep up with his long-legged strides. He glanced back at her occasionally and slowed a little so she could keep pace. They zig-zagged the halls for a minute or so before the Doctor flicked his head back again.

“So, what were you reading?” he asked out of the blue.

“Hmm?” Rose mumbled back, slightly confused.

“In the library, when the lights were broken,” he explained.

“Oh,” she said. “The biology books, like you’d asked me to.”

The Doctor nodded slowly, coming to a stop at the library doorway. He dropped her hand and looked up at the ceiling, adjusting his glasses. He ran a hand through his hair and turned slowly in a circle, still looking up.

“Yep, just looks like the bulbs, nothing major shorted out,” he said, half to Rose and half to himself.

She didn’t say anything, just watched him opened a nearby cupboard and pulled out some spare bulbs. He then clambered up a spiral ladder, screwdriver back between his teeth, all the way to the ceiling. When he got there, he started removing what was left of the broken bulbs and throwing them down to the floor, landing on one of the large armchairs.

When that was all done, he began installing the new bulbs with his sonic screwdriver, glasses sliding down his nose again as he worked. Rose still didn’t say anything, just continued to watch him, and a smile crept onto her lips at the intent look on his face and the precarious position of his glasses.

The Doctor saw her smiling up and him and grinned back, giving her an inquisitive look.

“Why is changing light bulbs amusing to you, Miss Tyler?” he asked good-naturedly.

She smiled wider, shrugging and shoving her hands into her pockets, rocking back and forth on her feet.

“Not the bulbs, just you,” she explained. “With that serious look on your face, like the one you get when it’s a life and death situation. Only it’s just light bulbs.”

He murmured in amusement, shaking his head as he finished putting the last one in.

“Still making fun of me, even after all this,” he complained in jest. “I’d think after last night you’d be grateful to me.”

The Doctor flashed her a cheeky smile, putting his screwdriver away and making his way back down the spiral ladder. Rose put her hands on her hips, smiling at him in disbelief and now it was her turn to shake her head.

“ _Grateful?_ ” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “So, it was all just a favour to me, hmm?”

She folded her arms across her chest, and he glanced at her as he made his way down toward the library floor. She began tapping her foot on the floor, and he smiled to himself, knowing he was taunting her with his cockiness.

“Well, and Jack too, of course,” he replied.

“Oh, of course,” she said dryly, a smile still on her lips.

The Doctor finally reached the ground, jumping down onto the tiled floor, smoothing down his suit and then looking up at Rose. She looked slightly annoyed, a little curious and amused. He flashed her another toothy grin.

“Well, things were getting a little tense, so I thought I’d relieve the pressure,” he explained. “Let you both relax a bit now.”

She arched her eyebrow higher and slowly began to approach him.

“So, it was all just for our benefit then yeah?” Rose asked innocently. “Absolutely nothing in it for you.”

Her eyes were dark and fiery, full of determination, and she flicked her hair back, allowing him sight of the smooth, creamy skin on her neck and throat. The Doctor felt his pulse quicken, and it occurred to him that it wasn’t always the best idea to goad Rose on subjects of sex. She was never one to back down from a challenge.

“Well, of course it was enjoyable for me too, there’s no question of that,” he replied, standing his ground. “But I did it for you.”

Rose was now in close proximity to him, he could feel the warm of her body next to his, and she stared up at him with those hazel eyes like saucers. This time around, he didn’t feel threatened by her advances because he knew he could match them, and no longer felt afraid to do so.

“You needed it,” he continued, his eyes still fixed on hers. “I didn’t want to give you relief in a way that might hurt you.”

Her eyes softened at this, and she glanced down, taking his hands in hers. Rose licked her lips and then bit down on one gently, looking back up at him.

“Thank you,” she said.

The Doctor removed one of his hands from hers and brought it to her face, brushing the back against her cheek. Her eyelids fluttering and she sighed, making him smile and his own gaze softening. He leaned down, placing his lips gently against hers, taking her in a slow kiss, which she responded to.

Her mouth began to move against his, capturing his bottom lip between hers and then opening her mouth to allow him to deepen their kiss. His other hand dropped from hers and his arm took her around the waist, holding her close to him, and he gently probed his tongue out to engage hers.

The Doctor leaned his head down, sealing her mouth completely with his own, his tongue dancing against her, gentle but in earnest. This was much better than earlier. No rushing, no roughness, just tender kisses and holding her close in the library of his Tardis. He sighed into her mouth in contentment.

When they finally broke apart, Rose’s eyes were dancing again, and a smile tugged at her lips. He smiled back at her, taking her hand and bringing it up to his mouth to plant a kiss on the back of it. She broke into a grin at this, and he chuckled, unable to wipe the silly smile off his own face.

“Unfortunately, now it’s time to see Dr. Teng,” the Doctor said, changing the subject.

Rose made a face but nodded, lacing her fingers through his as their hands dropped down. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, before leading her out of the library.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there the whole time,” he explained. “Just a few simple tests.”

“Nothing can go wrong then, yeah?” she asked, a little nervous.

The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh at this.

“Oh, you had to go and say that didn’t you?” he complained. “The clinic will probably explode while we’re in there now, won’t it?”

Rose giggled, and followed him down the hallways back to the control room.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose's pregnancy turns out to have some interesting side-effects.

“God, I thought he was never going to stop with those tests and needles,” Rose sighed. “I feel like a human pincushion.”

The Doctor shook his head, grinning at her.

“Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad. The needles aren’t even hand-drawn syringes; their air-piston triggers that take less than a second,” he reminded her. “And Dr. Teng only gave you four: two inoculations and two physiological adjustment compounds.”

Rose waved her hand dismissively at him, rolling her eyes at his long words and medical jargon, as they headed back to the Tardis. She fished in her pocket for the key and unlocked and opened it swiftly, in a way that had become such instinct for her now. She marched up the walkway, flinging her cardigan over the railing as she always did on her way past, and then flopped down in the flight seat.

“Well, I still felt like a lab rat, bein’ poked and prodded to see what happens in some experiment,” she informed him. “And that doctor’s a little bit weird, yeah? Needs to get out more.”

The Doctor grinned again, more to himself, and threw his jacket through a gap in a Tardis pillar as was customary, and approached where Rose was sitting. He leaned on the console, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I thought you said last time that he looked normal for a scientist?” the Doctor asked.

Rose shrugged indifferently.

“Yeah, he looks normal, but there’s just something creepy about him. The way he looked at me and talked to me,” she countered. “Like I was some prize achievement he’d created.”

She shuddered and made a face.

“He’s just curious, like any good scientist. After all, you are carrying an impossible life form,” the Doctor said.

His eyes shone at this, his grin now sloppy, and Rose’s expression softened. She like it when he was like this; clucky and beaming about their child. She stood up, smiling at him, and took his hand in hers. She pulled him closer to her, guiding his hand to her belly and sliding it down to her abdomen, even though there was no bump there yet.

The Doctor’s eyes met hers, soft and affectionate, and his grin widened as his fingers splayed out over the fabric of her shirt and jeans. Rose laid her hand over his, her fingers following the shapes of his own, and the tips gently caressing the soft skin beneath.

“It’s not just some quirk of nature,” she said. “It’s a living thing. Our baby.”

The Doctor smiled again, wrapping his other arm around her waist to pull her close, and kissed her forehead.

“I haven’t forgotten that. And I wish we could…” he trailed off, murmuring in her hair. “But my life is no life for a child. They deserve better.”

Rose pulled away from him a little so she could look up at him.

“Yeah, they do. It’ll just be hard, ya know?” she explained. “Not knowing them. Not knowing anything at all.”

The Doctor rested his chin on the top of her head again, enveloping her in a tight hug.

“We’ll get through it. You’ve got me and I’ve got you,” he said, grinning a toothy grin.

Rose tipped her head up again to look at him, taking his face between her hands. She stared into his eyes for a moment before pressing a firm kiss on his lips, surprising him. She snaked her hands up his neck to mess in his hair, fingers steady against the back of his head.

He let her kiss him for a moment before responding, his lips moving against hers slowly. However, she seemed in much more of a hurry, her movements fiery and clumsy. Her mouth was hungry and open, nipping at his lips to take them between her own and suck on them. The instant he opened his mouth, her tongue was there, desperate and probing, and the Doctor raised his hands to her shoulders to steady her.

But Rose wouldn’t be held back, and instead held his head firmly between her hands, kissing him hard and deeply. He seemed stunned by her dominating behaviour, not sure whether to let her continue or stop her now before things got out of hand.

But it was Rose that broke the kiss, coming up for air, breathing hard, and a wild look in her eyes. He stared at her a moment, unsure of what she was thinking behind that loaded expression.

The Doctor grabbed at his head as it was suddenly pummelled with sharp images flashing in and out, dazzling and jumbled. It was like fireworks going off in his mind, loud and colourful, only with images of himself and Rose in endless situations, none of which he remembered actually happening.

Then Rose herself was upon him again, kissing and biting, hands roving now, over his neck, shoulders and down his body over his suit. He tried to hold her off, get her to slow down, but the pictures in his mind were disorientating him and hurting his head. She was grabbing at his clothes, attempting to pull his jacket and tie off him, as her mouth continued its assault on and down his neck. Her lips were hot and firm on his skin, yearning for him, and for a moment he relented, letting her capture him in a deep kiss.

The Doctor could feel and hear Rose take in heavy, shallow breaths as she kissed him, punctuated by the occasional groan from her throat, the sound setting his body alight. But as much as he wanted to respond in kind, pull off her garments and feel her skin under his hands again, a voice in the back of his head told him something wasn’t quite right. The harsh, piercing images he was receiving he knew were from her and it appeared as though Rose didn’t even realise she was transmitting them. And exactly _how_ she was managing to do it was also a puzzle in itself.

Her behaviour was a little unusual too. Not unusual in that she wanted him, but that she was being so forward and aggressive about it apparently without much concern for his reaction to it. She wanted him regardless of what he wanted, and that was frightening because Rose just wasn’t that kind of person.

The Doctor managed to grab hold of Rose’s wrists and cease her wandering hands, but was having more difficulty pushing her body off him as she had him pinned against the console. With one mighty mental shove, he was able to impress his own mind upon Rose’s, holding it down and shouting her name into her head. This seemed to stun her and she staggered back, giving the Doctor the opportunity to push her away from him and tower his body over hers.

She stared up at him, bewildered, his hands still gripping her wrists. Her eyes were wide and full of confusion, as though she wasn’t sure exactly what had just happened. The Doctor looked at her, concerned. He slowly released his grip on her wrists, and took her face gently between his hands, dropping his head to meet her eyes.

“What was all that about?” he asked. “Are you alright?”

Rose opened her mouth to speak, blushing and still looking completely confused.

“I dunno, I don’t know what I was doing,” she admitted. “I feel a bit…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but instead her eyes rolled back and body sagged, the Doctor catching her in his arms before she fell to the floor, half-fainting. He supported her under her arms, moving her over to the flight seat to sit down. She was still dizzy, not quite all there, and the Doctor slipped a hand behind her head, holding it up.

With his other hand he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his sonic screwdriver to scan her. He shone it over her chest and eyes, brow furrowed in concentration but eyes still full of concern. Rose smiled weakly at him, trying to appear well, but in all honesty her head was pounding and mouth felt dry. She leant her head back against his hand, sighing in comfort at the feel of having him there to look after her. The Doctor smiled back a little at her, and then looked down at the readings on his sonic screwdriver.

“Well, your chemical levels appear a bit wobbly and your heart rate is high,” he explained. “It might be from the adjustment compounds Dr. Teng gave you. They should right themselves soon, and you’ll be feeling better in no time.”

Rose tried to appear optimistic but she could tell from the look on the Doctor’s face that it wasn’t convincing. She managed to heave herself closer to him and leaned her body against his, closing her eyes as his arms wrapped around her again. Her body shivered involuntarily as she felt the Doctor’s warm breath in her ear, and he sat up a little in concern. She turned her head slightly, giving him a half-smile.

“S’okay, that was just from you,” she explained. “Breathing heavily in my ear.”

She gave him a cheeky wink, and he smiled at her, his eyes softening a little. He held her close to him again, her back against his chest and her head nestled in the crook of his neck and shoulder. One hand wandered up her arm to come to rest at the side of her head, his fingers gently playing in the tresses of her hair. They sat in silence for a few moments, the only sounds their soft breathing and the double-time heartbeat of the Doctor’s against Rose’s back.

The Doctor wondered if he should ask her about the mental projection she had demonstrated earlier. She probably wasn’t aware she had done it and may be a little embarrassed that she had broadcast such private thoughts for him to see, without knowing it. And it may have been a freak event brought on by the physiological adjustments Dr. Teng had made coupled with her own increase in hormone levels.

He decided to test that theory, reaching out with his mind to nudge at the corners of Rose’s to see if he got a response. He felt her body flinch a little, but she didn’t say anything, so he pushed a touch more and whispered her name gently into her head.

“Mmm?” she replied out loud.

He smiled, somewhat perplexed, and opened his mind to build a stronger connection to her. The Doctor felt her mentally relax at this, and her thoughts and emotions began to gently ebb over into his head. They dripped and swirled, warm and comforting, filling him in a way he had not felt for a very long time. It was amusing she was still not aware of the link he had created, but thought it best to let her know now.

_‘Rose, I’m in your mind.’_

She tensed up at this, and the Doctor felt her mind retract instinctively in shock. She sat up and turned her head to look at him, an irritated look on her face. He braced himself for the oncoming tirade about privacy.

“And who said you could do that then, huh?” Rose demanded to know. “You can’t just go swannin’ in and out whenever you like. This is just like when I first met you, with the Tardis.”

The Doctor gave her a wry smile, resting his hand over hers on her knee. She still frowned at him but didn’t pull her hand away.

“Rose, this is different. I can’t normally probe inside your mind unless I have a proper physical link, and even then you have to let me,” he explained. “It was actually you who made the connection with me. And I still don’t know how you’ve done it.”

Rose looked confused, but the Doctor just shrugged, unable to find an explanation himself. He lifted her hand up and laced his fingers through hers, taking a deep breath before he continued.

“Before, when you were kissing me, you were projecting all your thoughts into my head,” he said. “Which, by the way, were very naughty, Miss Tyler.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down, embarrassed, but the Doctor just grinned at her. He lifted her chin with his other hand, staring into her eyes, his own gaze warm.

“So, what, I’ve just opened up my head to you now and you can know everything I’m thinking and feeling?” she asked tentatively. “I’m just an open book for you to read.”

The Doctor shook his head and clasped his other hand over their two intertwined. He shifted in his seat, a little closer to her, his smile soft.

“No, you only projected your thoughts when we kissed, and I have a feeling that was because of all the chemicals overwhelming you at the moment,” he explained. “The only thing that’s different now is that I don’t need to link to you physically to connect to your mind. I can just reach out and find you, as you can me too. Like I would – _did _– with other Time Lords.”__

__His expression saddened a little at this and Rose squeezed his hand in comfort._ _

__“So, I’m like, part Time Lord or something now then?” she asked, after a moment. “The baby’s changed me?”_ _

__The Doctor snapped out of his reverie and shook his head, taking a deep breath._ _

__“No. Well, yes. You’re not changing into a Gallifreyan, but I think the flood of new chemicals and the presence of the baby is affecting your body,” he said. “This connection we have might last the whole pregnancy or just a few days, I don’t know. I’ve never witnessed a Gallifreyan/Human pregnancy or birth before. There hasn’t been any. Not officially anyway.”_ _

__Rose raised an eyebrow, half-smiling, and leaned back into him, resting her head on his shoulder._ _

__“Well, what about unofficially?” she probed._ _

__The Doctor grinned at how well she could read him and projected a buzz of warm energy into her mind. She smiled at the tingling sensation and sent one right back at him._ _

__“Well, I once heard talk, not long after I left the Academy on Gallifrey, of someone doing hybrid experiments, much like Dr. Teng. It was rumoured to be an exiled Time Lord who was so fascinated by Earth that he thought the two species should unite to create some kind of super race,” he mused, thinking back. “Even in the circles I moved in, it was regarded as taboo to dilute our genes that way. Humans were thought too primitive to waste time on. So, you can guess how popular I was too, associating with you apes.”_ _

__The Doctor grinned, and Rose elbowed him, snorting a laugh._ _

__“So did it work? Was there ever a hybrid?” she asked._ _

__He shrugged, taking in a deep breath and exhaling loudly._ _

__“Don’t know. I never found out who it was. And no one ever mentioned it again,” he explained._ _

__Rose nodded, and they sat in silence again for a while. She wondered if there was ever another out there like her baby, a Human-Gallifreyan hybrid; if the experiment worked and they survived to adulthood. If so, had they known where they came from, or were they hidden away from their real parents to protect them, like Rose and the Doctor were doing?_ _

__Then maybe, there still might be some descendants out there. Not full Gallifreyan, but at least related, that the Doctor could track down. She figured there mustn’t be, or he would have thought of it and found them already. Wouldn’t he?_ _

____


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose isn't feeling all that well, but is it just normal morning sickness or something more sinister?

A few days passed without much change in Rose’s condition, with neither advancement nor diminishment of her new Gallifreyan attributes. The Doctor would occasionally feel her open her mind up to him, just every now and then to check if the connection was still there, and he would cast illuminations into her head in response. He could always hear her laugh echo through the Tardis at this, wherever she happened to be in it, and he would grin to himself at the warmth he received back.

But the Doctor noticed it never really went any further than that. He supposed it was normal human hesitation at discovering something you never knew you could do before, or thought was ever possible. He had been so used to the psychic connection before the Time War, that feeling it again now was so comfortable and familiar, he often forgot it wasn’t the same experience for Rose. It was, well, alien to her.

Which Rose usually took in her stride; the unfamiliar was an exciting adventure for her. But not this time, not in the same way. She seemed apprehensive, which left the Doctor feeling a little miffed. Why wouldn’t she want him in her head? It was perfectly natural – they were best friends, perhaps more, and she was pregnant with his child. And he was tired of feeling so alone up there, he wished she would trust him enough to not be afraid of it. Not that he’d ever tell her that. He didn’t want her to know it bothered him. And pressuring her would likely make it worse and cause her to close up altogether.

The Doctor was pondering these ideas in the library, feet propped up on a reading desk, when he felt Rose’s presence in his head again. This time it wasn’t probing though, she wasn’t looking for him, it was a foggy ball of hidden emotion seeping out of her mind into any nearby psychic fields. It was subtle at first, a kind of unsettling hum of anxiety, but the Doctor swung his legs down and sat up straight as it began to grow.

It developed associated colours and muddled shapes, clearing into sprawling horizons of dark purple with flashes of yellow lightning. The emotions became stronger and more distinct now too, worry combined with surprise and physical pain. The Doctor stood up slowly at this, and then, as Rose yelled out for him in his head, he broke into a run, pelting out of the library.

Something was wrong.

He dashed down the corridors, turning left, right, down steps and hurtling himself toward Rose as fast as he could. He wasn’t exactly sure what room she was in, but he could sense it as her cries of pain and panic grew louder and louder in his mind. He finally reached her in the kitchen and found her doubled over, staggering, with one hand holding herself up on the bench and the other bracing her belly.

Rose cried out again and the Doctor rushed over to her, wrapping an arm around her back to hold her up and draping her arm over his shoulder. She was struggling to control her gasping breaths between each groan of pain, and her dishevelled hair hung over her face and wide eyes.

“What is it?! What’s the matter?!” the Doctor asked, panicked.

As he guided her over to a nearby chair, he noticed that her abdomen was swollen where she was grasping it with her hand. She grimaced as she sat down, brushing her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. She let out another grunt of pain before she replied.

“I dunno, I was just coming in here to make a cup of tea when I started feeling a bit off,” she explained. “At first I was just dizzy but then started getting twinges and knew something else was wrong. Is it the baby?”

The Doctor had taken out his sonic screwdriver and was scanning her with it, over her face and then down to her belly. His brow was furrowed in concentration and worry, though he tried not to look as concerned as he felt. He didn’t want Rose to start panicking, it might make things worse.

“I don’t know, I need to run more tests, I need to take you to the medical lab,” he replied. “Come on.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and hooked her arm over his shoulder again, lifting her to her feet. Her knees gave way a little as she doubled in pain again, but the Doctor held her up, guiding her toward the door. He shuffled her as fast as he could out and down the corridor toward the lab, Rose taking in sharp breaths every now and then as another wave of pain hit her. He could see her clenching her jaw, trying to hold it in, which just caused him to worry more. Rose was a tough one, and if she was suffering this much, then something wasn’t right.

The Doctor lifted her up and laid her down on the examination table when they got into the lab, and then quickly rushed away to pull over several machines to use. He placed some electrode sensors in the crook of her elbow and one on her belly, and then began to scan her whole body with a large black flat paddle.

She let out another grunt of suppressed pain, her legs squirming and grimaced at the Doctor.

“Doing it a bit quicker would help,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Fast as I can, fast as I can,” he muttered, shaking his head.

After a moment, each of the machines beeped, and the Doctor put the paddle down and rushed around the machines to the readout screen. He scanned it quickly, his face dropping into a confused frown.

“No no no no no no no, that can’t be right,” he grumbled to himself, scrolling down the screen and re-reading it.

Rose let out another gasp, grabbing at her stomach and kicking her legs in pain. It was then the Doctor looked at her properly to notice how her belly had grown. She now looked pregnant – properly pregnant.

She glanced over at him, wiping her hair from her damp face.

“What? What is it? What’s not right?” she managed.

Rose closed her eyes and took in a slow, deep breath, trying to control her breathing and tolerate the pain. The Doctor still wasn’t saying anything, just muttering to himself and looking over the data again and again.

“God, this hurts, I may as well be in labour,” she said, trying to remain light-hearted.

The Doctor met her gaze at this, an awkward expression on his face, and then looked away quickly, back to the screens again.

“I’m in flippin’ labour?!” she cried. “But it’s only been what, like a week or something, yeah? _How_ am I in labour already?!”

He was still shaking his head, and now returned back to fiddling with the devices and taking more readings from her. He ran a hand nervously through his hair, occasionally arching his eyebrows, and moving about frantically.

“I don’t know, I don’t know. It’s not possible. Not meant to be possible. _Shouldn’t_ be possible,” the Doctor rambled. “Growing this baby over many months, that’s all fine, that’s how it’s meant to be. Your human body can stretch, adapt, change as it needs to, slowly, gradually. But not over hours, minutes. It’s not built for that.”

Now Rose finally noticed how much bigger she’d gotten, and looked at the Doctor anxiously, letting out a louder groan of pain this time. She clawed at him, grabbing hold of his arm and squeezing it desperately.

“Stop it then, just make it stop!” she cried, panting intermittently. “It bloody hurts!”

He pried her fingers off his arm and took her hand in his so she had something to squeeze that would hurt a little less. He began to run other instruments over her belly, pressing their cold metal occasionally up against her bare skin. None of them seemed to be working as he tried one after the other with little result or change in Rose’s condition.

“I’m trying, I’m trying, it won’t stop,” he replied, his voice now revealing his desperation and anxiety. “It has to stop, it has to. Your body can’t cope with these rapid changes. It’s not designed to, it won’t be able to. It’s putting too much strain on the system, it’ll tear itself apart. You’ll…”

The Doctor stopped at this, his eyes wide and his gaze fixed on Rose’s. She too was agape with fear, and he squeezed her hand, pulling his face close to hers.

“I won’t let you die, Rose. I’ll look after you,” he said firmly. “I’ll save you.”

She gave him a weak smile.

“I know,” she breathed. “Just hurry up then.”

He smiled nervously back and then ran over to a glass case filled with various coloured vials and bottles with labels of long names. The Doctor pulled out two small bottles of clear liquid, yanking the lids off with his teeth and spitting them to the side as he reached for a nearby syringe. Rose stared at him with wide eyes as he plunged the needle into one of the bottles and drew up some of the liquid.

“If I’m going to help you, I need to go in surgically,” he explained, flicking the syringe to remove any bubbles. “I don’t think I can reverse what’s happening, but I can stop it from going any further.”

Rose swallowed and nodded, giving him a tight smile. She gasped again as another wave of pain hit her, one hand bracing her abdomen, the buttons on her jeans now popped open to sit under her belly. Her purple shirt had ridden up to sit just on her ribcage, exposing the bare skin of her expanding stomach.

She didn’t seem to notice as the Doctor slid the needle into her arm and injected her with anaesthetic. She just grabbed hold of his spare hand, squeezing it as hard as she could as more stabs of pain shot through her body.

Whether it was the starting effects of the sedatives or delirium from the pain, Rose couldn’t help the string of curses and expletives that escaped her lips to address the Doctor. She was screaming at him about how this was all his fault, that she hated him, that he was a stupid twat for getting her into this, and that he was going to pay for it. She no longer knew what she was saying, the words came on their own as the tried and failed to cope with the agony that was now overwhelming her.

Her head then began to cloud, her arms losing momentum as she attempted to fling them angrily in the Doctor’s direction, and she soon realised the anaesthetic was starting to really take effect. She tried to focus her eyes and call out to the Doctor, but her tongue felt thick and slow in her mouth.

The last thing she remembered before blacking out was the Doctor walking toward her with a silver, ridged electrical device. At its end spun a glowing, blue blade, and she could do nothing but watch as he aimed it toward the growing mass of her belly.


	21. Chapter 21

Rose heard the faint buzz of medbay instruments and the familiar hum of the Tardis, and stirred, slowly opening her eyes. She blinked a few times, trying to focus, and came upon the form of the Doctor by her bedside, staring at her health monitor screens.

A broad grin of relief spread across his face as he met her gaze, and she attempted a weak smile back. He reached a hand over to brush the hair from her eyes, his fingertips gently grazing the soft skin of her cheek.

“Hello,” he said softly, his eyes shining.

“Hello,” she replied, her heart warming.

“Had me worried for a minute there,” he said. “Thought I might not be brilliant enough to save you. But of course I was.”

He grinned at her as she rolled her eyes at his perpetual lack of modesty. It was a good thing he had her to stop his head from growing too big.

“Oh yeah, well done there, not realising anything was wrong until I told you,” she teased. “Good work.”

The Doctor waved a hand dismissively, tutting. Rose gave him a wry smile. Then her grin faded and she stopped, one hand on her belly.

It was no longer swollen like before and there was a cold, empty feeling in the back of her head. When her gaze met the Doctor’s, his smile had vanished too. He cast his eyes downward, taking her hand. He then looked back up at her seriously.

“I’m sorry,” he said gently. “The baby…”

Rose swallowed, hard. She felt a sick lump rising in her throat and her eyes burned with the threat of tears.

“What happened?” she asked finally.

“Whatever changes were going on, were killing you both. I needed to stop it,” he explained, his tone hollow. “I tried to operate, halt the process.”

He swallowed, and Rose saw flickers of sorrow in his empty gaze. But then they were gone again.

“I couldn’t do it, it was too late,” he continued. “I couldn’t save her.”

The Doctor stared at her with a defeated expression, and swallowed again, squeezing her hand. She could feel the moist in her eyes ready to spill over but she still mustered a small, sad smile.

“Her…?” she asked shakily.

The Doctor’s expression softened a little and he gave her a bittersweet grin.

“Yeah, you were having a daughter,” he confirmed. “And she was just beautiful.”

Rose laughed softly, sadly, her cheeks now damp with tears but a proud smile on her face. She had unlaced her fingers from the Doctor’s and instead rested her hand on his arm.

“Somehow her growth had been induced, and it was hurting you both, but she was stubborn, just like her Mum,” he grinned, his voice hitching a little. “She hung in there all that time before I got to her, a real fighter.”

His gaze saddened again and he stared down at Rose’s fingers, tracing them with his own.

“I managed to halt the process but it had been too much for her,” he said quietly. “I tried everything, I…I’m sorry…”

Rose took his hand again and gave it a squeeze. She stared up at him with shining eyes.

“I know, s’okay,” she said. “You did your best. It wasn’t meant to be.”

She took a deep breath and sighed, one hand rubbing her belly absently, a vacant look in her eye.

“S’pose it’s better this way, yeah?” she said after a moment, smiling grimly. “Don’t have to worry about all that adoption stuff and anyone trying to kidnap her.”

The Doctor smiled back briefly, but didn’t reply. He hoisted himself up on the bed beside her, lying down and wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her close, kissing her forehead, and then resting his chin on her hair. After a few minutes he heard Rose’s breathing deepen and slow, knowing she had fallen back asleep again.

He didn’t sleep though; he couldn’t. This was all more of a loss to her than she let on, and that was worrying. Rose usually wore her heart on her sleeve, didn’t hold things in. He was also plagued by the guilt of not telling her the truth about the baby. Not the whole truth, anyway.

The baby had been in trouble, and he didn’t think he could save her. And yes, he had lost her. But she hadn’t died. She had just vanished, right in front of his eyes.


End file.
